Subterfuge
by Harmne
Summary: Follow-on story set after Rosa's Gift. Slightly AU.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Thanks to all the requests to continue that I got in reviews, my ADHD muse has gone in to hyper-drive. Like it needed any MORE help being confusing! This is an add-on story to Rosa's Gift so you should read it first if you haven't already. _

_This story is dedicated to everyone who reads and reviews – without you I wouldn't have the motivation to write!_

Disclaimer: Characters from the books property of JE and used without permission. All original characters and the story are mine.

-oOo-

**Subterfuge**

_Chapter 1_

Ranger hung up the phone slowly. A few days ago he had been approached about a job by the secret branch of the government he'd once worked for. The first tendering of the job had been as a hit, and he'd turned it down flat. He knew how it twisted him inside when he had to kill. Now that his life finally included Stephanie he didn't want to expose her to that.

Something about the target must have changed, made him more important. He'd just been called with a second offer, a non-lethal job. They now requested him to injure or simulate an injury to the target so that an ambulance would be called – that was all. Their own personnel would take over from there.

Ranger didn't like doing in-country work and he didn't like risking injuring innocent civilians but he promised to consider it. They faxed the file and gave him twenty-four hours to get back to them. He read through it once and called a meeting in one of the small conference rooms to discuss it.

Tank, Bobby, and Lester had always been his core team at RangeMan. They could always be counted on to plan a job and watch his back, but for once they were stymied. None of them could think of a way he could get close enough to tag the target without raising all kinds of security alarms.

At Lester's suggestion he asked Stephanie to join their meeting. As Santos had pointed out, Steph thought outside the box – sometimes WAY outside – but she somehow always managed to come up with something.

Steph came into the small conference room warily, wondering what was up and why she'd be invited to what she privately thought of as a war council. She was even more puzzled when they laid out the problem – including giving her the target's information and itinerary.

Everyone was quiet, lost in their own thoughts as they mentally sorted through and discarded ideas. It took several minutes for Steph's mind to quiet enough to think, but then it wasn't long before she had a flash. She shot a cautious look around the table before touching Ranger's arm to get his attention.

"Can I talk to you for a minute? Outside?"

Ranger frowned slightly but got to his feet, drawing her outside the door into the empty hall. "What is it, Babe?"

She stepped close, letting one hand creep up his chest to seemingly aimlessly explore, coming to rest just over the small hidden tattoo of a black dragon under his collarbone in the hollow of his shoulder. "Tank knows?" she murmured very softly.

Ranger gave her an almost imperceptible nod, capturing her hand and bringing it to his lips to kiss it. He knew the security cameras would pick them up but the staff had gotten used to small gestures of affection between them now, and their faces were hidden well enough that not even Hal could read their lips.

"Not Les or Bobby?" she continued, and took her answer from his face and gave a tiny nod. "I think I have an idea."

They went back into the room, three faces turning to them with amusement and curiosity both. Ranger seated Stephanie and sat back down in his chair.

Steph picked up the itinerary and ran her fingers down it to one entry. Taking a deep breath, she started.

"On October 30th, the um, _target_ will be attending a big Halloween costume party at the Resort Casino in Atlantic City. There will be tight security because the guest list includes politicians, movie stars, and the otherwise rich and famous. If we can get our hands on one legitimate invitation, I think we can create enough of a distraction with security at the entrance to let someone slip inside."

"How, Beautiful? What kind of distraction?"

Steph carefully didn't look at Ranger. "A friend of mine from college has a relative that trains big cats for show business – movie and TV work mostly, but sometimes for Vegas shows. He owes me a huge favor… and I've always wanted to dress up as Catwoman."

She felt Tank stiffen beside her but he didn't say anything. Bobby and Lester looked a little flabbergasted and then Lester laughed.

"Yeah, I can see where that might create enough of a distraction! But would this friend really loan you a big enough cat to cause a stir?"

Steph thought furiously for a moment. "I might have to bring him with me as an escort, or they might not let us in-- but yeah, I think he'll go for it. I'll have to talk to him to be sure, of course."

Ranger spoke quietly. "Assuming she can call in this favor, what do you think? With one of us inside, how can we cause or simulate a medical crisis to get an ambulance crew in?"

Bobby spoke for the first time. "There are contact agents, chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin, passed through a casual touch or a handshake. It would take something strong but not lethal to cause enough symptoms, and it might not work quickly enough…"

"What about a dart?" Ranger asked.

"That could work," Bobby agreed, starting to shuffle though his copy of the file for pertinent information on the target. "It shouldn't just be a knock-out, though -- we should try for something more in line with his medical history so it will be more immediately acted on."

"Ok," Ranger said. "We've got a week to work in. Steph will check with her contact and see if she can call in her favor. Bobby, you see if you can come up with something for a reaction we want. Lester, find a weapon small enough to be inconspicuous that will fire the necessary dart. We'll meet again at 09:00 tomorrow and see how things look, and then go from there."

The men stood and headed for the door. Steph held back until she was alone with Ranger.

"Tank doesn't like this at all. I could feel him freeze in place when I said it."

"I'll talk to him, Babe. Go call your friend and see if you can meet, then let me know."

"Ok." But she paused, biting her lip, and Ranger smirked.

"I'll speak to Ella about a costume, Babe. She'll come and talk to you later."

Steph looked relieved, then made a face and stuck her tongue out at him. "Stop with the ESP, you're making me paranoid!"

Ranger just laughed and pulled her close for a quick kiss, then they left the room and went their separate ways.

_TBC…_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: To all of you who've sent messages to ask about "Divine Madness" – I haven't abandoned it, I WILL finish it! I apologize for making you wait. I didn't intend to be away from it so long! And as always, thanks to everyone who takes the time to leave a review. They keep me going.**_

_Disclaimer: Characters from the books are property of JE and borrowed without permission. Original characters and the story are mine. I'd trade if she let me keep Ranger…_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**Chapter 2**_

Stephanie made her way to the seventh floor apartment, smiling to herself as she let herself in. A lot had changed in the past two months. Ranger had revealed one of his most closely-kept secrets to her, proving beyond all shadow of doubt how much he trusted her. It had broken the last barriers between them and marked the beginning of their new relationship.

_Relationship with a capital R_, Steph thought. She'd never imagined she'd ever get any kind of commitment from Ranger, much less be persuaded to live with him, but here she was. The seventh floor apartment had become her official residence six weeks ago.

She made her way into the small office and turned on the computer there. It had been a while since she'd heard from Stravos and she wanted to make sure his contact information hadn't changed. The fastest way was to run a search on RangeMan's system.

While she waited she raided the refrigerator, finding red grapes to snack on and fixing herself a Coke over ice. By the time she went back to the office the information was ready.

His home address and phone number hadn't changed. He'd changed jobs a couple of times in the past few years and now was working as a contractor, field unspecified. Steph frowned. He'd been an investment councilor, how could that be contracted out? Shaking her head she read on until she found a cell phone number listed. Nodding in satisfaction, she picked up the phone on the desk.

It rang five times before he finally picked up, and then he sounded so distracted that for a moment Stephanie thought she'd gotten his voicemail. Then he repeated "Hello? Hello?" and she knew it was him.

"Stravos," she began in a very bad melodramatic gypsy voice, "this is a voice from you past…"

There was a moment of silence, then Stravos laughed. "Stephanie Plum, I can't believe it! How are you – I haven't heard from you in ages. Your accent still sucks, by the way."

"Well, I'm out of practice. Besides, you still recognized me! I'm doing really good, how about you? What are you doing now?"

"I'm doing some work for one of my uncles right now… How did you get my cell number? There's no listing, and it isn't on my home machine."

Steph decided to just lay it out. Stravos had never appreciated subtlety, anyway. He liked the direct approach. "I'm working for a security company in Trenton now, and I ran a low-level security check to see if the phone number and address I had for you were still current. Your cell number came up, too."

"Why do I get the feeling there's a reason for this call?" he said wryly. "I haven't heard from you since you married that Dick guy."

"Seriously, it's been that long? The Dick is ancient history now but you're right… Remember that favor you owe me?"

-oOo-

Ranger looked up from his computer when Steph slipped into his office and closed the door. She was fairly vibrating with excitement. He smiled as he pushed his chair back from the desk.

"I take it you located your friend?"

"Oh my god, Ranger, you aren't going to believe this!" She came to him and accepted his tacit invitation, practically crawling into his lap. "Not only did I talk to Stravos, he's working for his uncle Dimitri, the one who trains cats! They're in New York right now making arrangements to pick up a rare cat from someplace in Asia. I'm supposed to meet them for dinner tonight to talk about the favor. And get this! Stravos says Dimitri already has an invitation to the Halloween party at the Resort! He's on their standard VIP list but he usually doesn't attend."

"Babe, you've got the devil's own luck," he said, chuckling when Steph lightly punched his chest. "Where are you meeting them?"

"They're at the Hilton at LaGuardia. Their cat's in customs for a few more days." She paused long enough to drape her arms around his neck and brush a kiss across his lips, smiling when she felt his arms tighten around her. "Do you want to come with me to talk to them?"

One eyebrow went up. "I thought you'd want to handle it on your own."

Steph bit her lip as she thought for a moment. "I'd like to have you there. I'm going to need to tell them something about why we need their help, and I would appreciate you being there for that. Besides, I think you'll enjoy meeting them."

He nodded.

"Stravos said they'd prefer not to dress up for dinner, but we ought to leave here in time to get there at seven."

After a quick glance at his desk clock Ranger said, "That means we should leave in just under two hours."

Steph's eyes flicked down for a moment before she marshaled her courage to ask her next question. "Did you talk to Tank?"

"Not yet."

"He doesn't like this plan, does he?" she said it as more of a statement than a question. "He doesn't think it will work."

Ranger's fingers tilted her chin back up so she would meet his eyes. "It's not the plan that's bothering him, Steph. He knows about _Abuela's_ gift but because of the circumstances under which I had to tell him, he's not comfortable with me in my altered form."

"Do you think that's it? But he wouldn't have to be close to you…"

Ranger cut her off, putting one fingertip over her lips. "The fact that you know -- and don't have a problem with it -- may be bothering him, too. I won't know until I talk to him."

"Okay." Steph dropped the subject but hoped Tank and Ranger could clear the air between them. They needed Tank for this to work.

Ranger consulted his watch. "Why don't you go start getting ready and decide what to tell Stravos and Dimitri. I'll be up soon."

He watched her slip back out, her exit considerably more sedate than her entry. Then he sighed and got up to find Tank. They needed to talk.

-oOo-

Tank wasn't in his office or in the gym. The men on monitors knew he'd gone downstairs, but not where. Ranger finally found him in the gun range systematically working through a series of targets, five clips for his gun laid out on the shelf in front of him. Three were empty. Two were still full.

Ranger put on ear protectors and sat down in a chair just inside the door, settling in to watch. He didn't interrupt when Tank paused to change clips, or when he put up new targets. He waited patiently until Tank finished shooting, and then cleaned and reloaded his gun. When Tank finally met his eyes he stood up and led the way into the small room off the range where there was a work table and a few chairs.

Only twice before in their long-standing friendship had Ranger been in the situation of having to talk out a disagreement. On the previous two occasions Ranger had simply waited until Tank finally started talking. Today he didn't have the luxury of time. He didn't want to push but he could get the ball rolling.

"You don't care for the plan," he stated quietly, and waited.

Tank twitched in his chair but it didn't take long. "When did you tell her?"

"Two months ago, on the night of that last break-in at her apartment."

"She see you change yet?"

"Yes." There was something in Tank's voice, something that sounded almost defensive. It made Ranger think about the first and only time Tank had actually seen him change. It had been when they were in the Rangers, on some FUBAR mission in a jungle hell-hole, cut off from the rest of their team. Tank had been shot in the leg and barely able to walk, and the enemy was closing in on all sides. There hadn't been time to explain; Ranger had handed Tank his guns, told him 'don't shoot the leopard', stripped off his boots and pants and shifted forms on the run. He'd circled, getting the drop on each man hunting them, killing them one by one. The last one had been taking aim at Tank when he'd leaped on him from a tree.

Not exactly the best first impression, he realized now. Christ, no wonder Tank wasn't comfortable with his cat form!

Maybe he could straighten this out after all.

He cleared his throat and looked steadily at Tank. "I changed in the apartment about fifteen minutes after I told Steph about _Abuela's_ Gift. I had to – I'd waited almost too long."

"Which cat?"

"The black leopard."

"She didn't freak out?"

"No." There was still a trace of bemusement in his voice at that fact, too. "She was almost weirdly accepting of it. But then, I didn't shred anyone in front of her either."

Tank made a barely-perceptible flinch at the memory. "What _did_ you do? Just change back?"

"I sat down in front of her and let her scratch my ears," Ranger admitted, hoping Tank couldn't tell how sappy he felt saying that. "Then she got dinner out and we ate, she watched some TV…and then we sort of got into a game of keep-away with the remote."

"_Stephanie_ played _keep-away_ with that big-ass leopard?" Tank asked, incredulous. "She wasn't scared of it? You?"

"She pulled me off the sofa by the scruff of my neck," Ranger admitted, an unconscious smile curving his lips. "When I tripped her and laid on her back to pin her to the floor she was laughing her ass off."

Tank was silent, probably trying to imagine that.

Ranger sat forward. "I can't change what happened that first time, Tank, and I wouldn't if I could. If I'd been one second slower we'd both be dead. I do regret not telling you the truth earlier - and I'm forever grateful that you didn't shoot the leopard – but I can't go back and do it over. If you're willing to try, I'd like to show you what it can be like when things are calm. I'll probably have to practice changing, depending on what cat I need to be for the distraction. You're welcome to come with us."

After a long thoughtful silence, Tank said quietly, "I'd like to try."

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

An hour later he walked into the apartment looking for Steph, wondering how she'd be dressed to meet her friends for dinner. He was a little surprised to find her wearing a pair of faded jeans that hugged her butt lovingly and a black RangeMan polo shirt. Casual was fine with him. He changed into black jeans and pulled on a clean black t-shirt with the RangeMan logo on the breast pocket.

Hector met them in the garage with the car.

Steph stopped short two steps out of the elevator when she caught sight of the vehicle. "We're going in a limo?"

"It's a long drive," he defended. "We'll be more comfortable, and Hector knows New York like the back of his hand." The car was small as limos went, with little in the way of a trunk, but the two rear seats were of equal size and faced each other _and_ it handled like a dream even in traffic. The electric gull-wing back doors just made it easier to get in and out, honestly.

Stephanie rolled her eyes and got in, smiling at Hector when he winked at her.

The tinted privacy glass was up, and as soon as they were moving she asked about Tank. "Did you talk to him? Is he okay?"

"I think he will be," Ranger said. Taking her hand and idly playing with her fingers, he told her about having to change in front of Tank, and why. She listened intently to the details of their talk, and smiled when he told her about inviting Tank to be with them the next time he changed.

"I'm sure it will help," she reassured him, turning her hand to mesh her fingers with his. "Especially if we go somewhere there's enough room to play, like you did with me."

"Speaking of play…" Ranger shot her a sidelong glance and one side of his mouth quirked up. He lifted their joined hands to his lips and nipped at her fingers, then kissed her and tried to pull her into his lap.

Stephanie held him off with both hands braced against his chest, laughing. "No! You can't mess up my hair, all I brought with me is my cell and my ID. Down, boy!"

He grumbled something under his breath and subsided with a sigh, slouching slightly and propping one leg on the facing seat. Steph had the audacity to laugh at him but a moment later her hand patted his thigh.

"I'll make it up to you on the way home," she whispered.

Ranger caught her hand and held it. "Promises, promises."

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**TBC…**_

_A/N2: Help! I need someone who knows British slang and who won't mind answering silly questions. PM or E-mail me if you're willing to help. Thanks!_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: Characters from the books property of JE and used without permission. Everyone else – including RangerCat! – and the story belongs to me.**_

_A/N: I never know which story my muse is going to want to play with. Tonight it was this one. Also, I wanted to publicly thank Rae (anon) for giving me the Halloween idea that lead to this whole story – and I'm sorry I forgot to credit you in the previous chapters! I would have written to thank you personally but you left your review anonymously! _

_Thanks also to everyone who leaves me reviews to fuel my muse. I appreciate them all!_

-oOo-

_**Chapter 3**_

The faint hum of an electric window woke Steph from her light doze, and she straightened away from the warm shoulder she'd been leaning against to find Ranger had lowered the privacy screen. He had his phone out and the screen was showing some sort of GPS map.

Ranger spoke to Hector in Spanish and Hector replied. Their discussion went back and forth several times before Ranger nodded and raised the screen again.

"Five what?" Steph asked as he put his phone away.

Ranger turned to look at her. "Babe?"

"I heard Hector say 'cinco' and I know that means five. That's the only thing I understood."

He chuckled softly. "He said we're about five minutes from the hotel. I'm sorry, Steph, I thought you were asleep and it's easier to speak to Hector in Spanish. I was asking him about places to eat in this area."

"How come Hector knows New York so well?"

"He has family here."

Steph sat up straighter and wondered if it had been a mistake not to bring her purse with her makeup and hairbrush. She could only hope she hadn't made her hair stand on end – and trust Ranger to tell her if it was.

They were pulling up in front of the hotel only a moment later. Ranger got out and helped her out. Hector pulled forward into an area reserved for waiting cabs and limos and they headed inside.

Stephanie spotted Stravos and an older man getting off the elevator as they were crossing the lobby and headed toward them with a smile. Ranger followed a step behind, unobtrusively sizing them up.

Stravos wasn't quite as tall as Stephanie in her heeled shoes. His coloring was dark and his hair was the type of not-quite-curly that always looked unruly. His eyes lit up at Stephanie's greeting, though, and his face and posture were easy to read.

The uncle was a couple inches shorter and much more reserved. He smiled as Stravos introduced Stephanie but his eyes gave less away. Both Dimitri and Stravos were wearing dark washed jeans. Stravos was wearing a New York t-shirt. Dimitri wore a long-sleeved button down shirt in deep red – to cover scars, Ranger realized when he saw the back of Dimitri's hand.

Stephanie turned to introduce them and he smiled, letting her lead.

"Is there somewhere nearby you'd like to eat?" Steph asked as she headed the group back outside to the waiting car.

"We have only eaten in the hotel or the fast-food restaurants near the customs quarantine area," Stravos said with a small shrug, "so anything is fine with me."

Ranger looked to the older man. "Not too spicy. My stomach is not as tough as it used to be."

Hector drove them to a pub-style restaurant, where the menu was large and varied and the main dining area was flanked by smaller more private nooks. Within minutes Ranger got them seated at one of the quieter tables off by itself.

As soon as they settled Dimitri spoke. "Please, let us take care of our business before we eat. I would enjoy my meal much more."

Steph looked slightly panicked. Ranger stepped in smoothly.

"Would you like something to drink? I'll get us something from the bar while Steph explains the favor we'd like to ask." Under the cover of the table Ranger found and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "What would you like, Babe?"

Steph asked for a margarita. Dimitri chose a dark beer and Stravos a mixed drink. Ranger rose and intercepted their waiter smoothly, speaking to him for a moment before heading to the bar.

Taking a deep breath, Steph began. "Ranger's company provides security – alarm systems, monitoring, and patrolling when necessary. They do security for some of the casinos in Atlantic City, and for others they are occasionally contracted to do security audits."

Ranger was back, setting down drinks and settling back into his chair with easy grace, giving Steph an encouraging smile. A security audit was a very plausible choice, he thought. He'd wondered what reason she would give them.

"The Resort has requested an audit. The upcoming party is a heightened-security event and is an excellent time to test their preparedness." Steph shifted in her seat, leaning forward and giving them a conspiratorial smile. "We want to create a stir at the entrance and see how their staff handles the unexpected."

"How are we able to help with this?" Dimitri asked.

"I want to attend as your escort. I'll be dressed as Catwoman, and have a big cat on a leash."

"How big a cat?" Stravos asked.

"Big enough to cause a stir," Steph answered with a slight, mysterious smile.

Dimitri pursed his lips slightly as he considered. "I could attend with you, but I'm afraid I don't at the moment have a cat well-trained enough to be calm in such a setting."

"Steph can provide the cat," Ranger broke in smoothly. "What we lack is the invitation and the credentials to show a cat in a public place. We can work around these things if you decide not to participate, but your help would certainly simplify things."

"You have a cat?" Dimitri asked Stephanie.

"I can _provide_ a cat," Steph clarified.

"What kind of cat? How well trained is it, and who was its trainer?"

Ranger was impressed by Steph's smooth answers. "I'm afraid some of that information is classified, but I can assure you the cat is very well trained."

"I would like to meet the cat and see it work before I agree."

Steph looked to Ranger and he nodded. "That can be arranged," he said.

Dimitri and Stravos exchanged a look. Stravos nodded, a grin breaking across his face.

Dimitri hesitated slightly, then sat forward and leaned his arms on the table. "I agree conditionally, provided the cat is as well trained as you say. But I might be able to provide more than my presence and the invitation."

"Like what?" Stephanie asked.

Dimitri smiled, his face falling into dozens of wrinkles. His eyes nearly twinkled as he leaned even closer and said softly, "How about a real Catwoman costume?"

Stravos leaned in to watch Steph's reaction. She blinked and opened her mouth but nothing quite came out. Ranger leaned in, too, to keep the conversation as quiet as possible.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Stravos broke in to explain, obviously too excited to wait for the older man. "Production has just begun on a new Catwoman movie," he confided, "and Uncle Dimitri has been contracted to provide big cats for appearances in the film."

"They have also asked for some promotional appearances," Dimitri added. "I had not agreed to them as of yet, but I believe something could be arranged."

Ranger's lips quirked up as Stephanie finally got her voice to work. "That would be just totally cool."

"The movie won't be released until next fall, but the first promos will begin showing in theaters on Halloween," Stravos added. "The studio might really like the timing of the Halloween party at the Resort."

"There will be press coverage," Ranger added thoughtfully. "There are a lot of big Hollywood names on the guest list."

"I can't guarantee the studio will go for it, you understand. But I will make the suggestion and see what happens. Now, let's put this aside and enjoy dinner, yes?"

The hovering waiter came immediately when Ranger signaled him, and they ordered their dinners and refills of their drinks. Talk over their meals turned to general things and then to how Stravos and Stephanie met in college, a story both Dimitri and Ranger were interested in hearing.

"I had just arrived in America and was so confident in my English," Stravos explained. "My first week at the college I learned American English is filled with odd sayings and words used in ways not defined in the books. I was very confused and becoming worried that I would not be able to understand enough to make it through my classes. Then I met Stephanie."

"What he's not telling you is that I fell down the stairs and knocked him down," Stephanie inserted dryly, knowing it would make Ranger smile. She was right. "He was so worried I was hurt, and so polite. We ended up sitting down to talk."

"She helped me with my English and explained some of the sayings I didn't understand. I met a lot of people who were her friends. Soon I had many friends and was involved with a play at the college theater. I told her I would repay her a big favor someday."

"By getting my help for their audit?" Dimitri asked curiously.

"No," Stravos answered with a smirk. "All she asked me to do was bring you to dinner so she could ask you herself."

Ranger and Dimitri both chuckled.

Soon after the plates were cleared from the table Ranger noticed Dimitri checking his watch. "Have we disrupted your schedule?" he asked.

"I was wondering if I could prevail upon you for a ride to the customs facility," the older man answered. "The cat in quarantine, I would like to check on him. The facility is open for only another hour before lockdown."

"Could we see the cat, too?" asked Stephanie eagerly.

"It might be possible. Some of the night guards are more lenient to such requests than others."

They left shortly after, Hector picking them up at the door and delivering them to the customs gate in good time. Dimitri went in first and spoke to the guard for a few minutes, then came back out to get them. The guard had agreed to let them in, but there was a metal detector. They should leave anything metal in the limo if possible.

Stravos' eyes widened slightly when Ranger took a gun from the small of his back and put it into a small locking compartment hidden behind the armrest. They got even bigger when, at Ranger's soft "Babe?" Stephanie took a gun from her purse to add to it, and Stravos saw also the stun gun, pepper spray, and handcuffs inside. He managed a strangled voice.

"Your accessories have changed a bit since college, I see," he joked.

Stephanie just smiled.

Inside, once they were through security, Dimitri led the way through several doors into a corridor lined with large cages divided by concrete block walls. Most of the cages were empty. One held a young lion destined for the New York zoo. Several cages further on Dimitri stopped.

Stephanie's first thought was _"There are __**white**__ leopards?"_ But Dimitri was already explaining.

"This is a snow leopard, native to the higher elevations in parts of Asia. This is one of three that were confiscated from an illegal exporter of rare and endangered animals. They were ill and malnourished, and the other two died. So far this one has survived, but he was showing signs of a fever earlier in the day and I wanted to check him again before I called it a night. I don't understand why the infection seems to keep coming back."

"He's beautiful," Stephanie said softly. Disturbed by their presence, the leopard was pacing uneasily, his long heavy tail twitching. Instead of black markings his were almost silver, making his coat seems to shimmer as he moved. She must have said it out loud, because Stravos chuckled.

"Funny you should say that. His name is Luccichio, which is 'shimmer' in Italian, I'm told."

Ranger squatted near the cage, just out of reach should the leopard take a swipe through the bars, and watched the big cat pace. Dimitri looked at him quizzically, then looked back and forth between Ranger and the leopard.

"He's favoring his back left paw," Ranger said after several minutes. "Not a lot, but it could be an old injury."

"You have very good eyes," Dimitri said, frowning and watching the cat for another few minutes. "You're right. In the morning Stravos and I will sedate him and have the vet take a look. Thank you."

Ranger just inclined his head. "Luccichio is a beautiful animal. How well has he been trained?"

"His Asian trainer, a woman named Ling Su, says he is very well behaved; however, he doesn't seem to take kindly to many men. Ling Su was to have been here by now but was delayed due to a problem with her visa. Lucciachio is one of the cats the studio is very interested in for the picture so I'm hoping her travel plans can be straightened out soon. I will need her here to take charge of Lucciachio for the filming."

"How come he was being trained if he'd been confiscated from an exporter?" Steph asked. "Isn't that unusual?"

"Not in Hong Kong, from what I understand. A lot of illegal exporters try to run out of the harbor there, and a great many animals are seized each year. Ling Su worked for the department that evaluated the animals for health and determined if they were candidates for wild breeding programs, placement in zoos, and so on. Luccichio was young enough and had been handled enough that he was already partially trained, so she worked with him. Her department has suffered funding cuts and she decided he would have to be sold. Then she was also released, given early retirement. I invited her to come here, help Luccichio get settled and be his handler for the short-term. If she likes it I intend to offer her a more permanent job."

They watched the cat a few more minutes. Then, satisfied he had not gotten any worse, they exited the building and headed back to the hotel.

Dimitri seemed more relaxed now than he'd been all night. "I will call my contact at the studio tonight and make enquiries about publicity appearances. Is there a way I can contact you once I have an answer?"

Ranger handed Stephanie one of his business cards and she wrote her cell number on the back and gave it to Dimitri. "You should be able to get me at this number," she said.

"If for some reason she doesn't answer," Ranger added, "you can call RangeMan and leave a message. We'll get it to her and she will call you back."

When they reached the hotel Dimitri and Stravos asked to be just dropped at the door. "Our days have been long, and you have a long drive back. We'll see you again soon, though, I hope," Stravos said.

Hector drove them right to the door. Handshakes and goodbyes were exchanged, and Stravos kissed Stephanie on the cheek. They got out, and the limo pulled smoothly away. Ranger pressed a button on the armrest and spoke to Hector in Spanish. Hector answered cheerfully and Ranger turned the intercom off. A minute later Stephanie could faintly hear the beat of rap music even through the privacy barrier.

"What did you tell Hector?" Steph asked curiously.

"That he could listen to music if he wanted, and to buzz me on the intercom when we were coming into Trenton so I could wake you up again."

"Oh."

Without warning Ranger scooped her into his lap, chuckling at her startled shriek. "But Babe, I seem to remember you saying you'd make something up to me on the way home…"

-oOo-

_**TBC…**_

_A/N2: Yes, Cindy, if you're reading this – porn in the limo!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Caution: Limo Porn ahead. It's all Cindy's fault! Muahahaha! Thank you to Lisa for letting me bounce things off her, and to Nichole for entertaining me while I procrastinated._

_**Disclaimer: Familiar characters belong to JE. Everything else is mine. I might be willing to share but you have to ask first! **_

***Smut Warning* **

-oOo-

_Without warning Ranger scooped her into his lap, chuckling at her startled shriek. "But Babe, I seem to remember you saying you'd make something up to me on the way home…"_

_**Chapter 4**_

"I _vaguely_ remember saying something along those lines…" she said teasingly.

"You said _exactly_ that, Babe," Ranger growled, "and I'm holding you to it."

Stephanie's giggle turned into a moan as Ranger found her mouth with his. He pulled at her shirt until he worked his hand under it to stroke the soft skin of her belly. God, she was so soft… Then he slid his hand up to tease her through the lace of her bra and felt her breathing quicken. Her nipples pebbled beneath the lace and he quickly grew impatient, following the band to her back to pop the hooks and pull it loose from her breasts.

"Are you in a hurry?" she asked breathlessly as she broke the kiss, a trace of laughter in her voice.

"The drive only lasts a little over an hour, so yes. I've spent a large part of the evening thinking about what I wanted to do with you on the way home." He pushed her shirt and bra up and over her head, pulling them off and tossing them away. The hand behind her back braced just beneath her neck, lowering her slightly so he could reach her breasts with his mouth.

She gasped and arched beneath the assault of his lips and tongue, her hands grasping for something to hold on to. Then his free hand slipped back down her torso and under the top of her jeans, his fingers stroking the lace of her panties as his thumb worked the button, caught the zipper…

When he suddenly moved to sit her on the opposite seat she made a startled noise, then laughed breathlessly when he began to work her jeans and underwear down her hips.

"Okay," she agreed, pushing his hands away to take over the task. "You, too – take off your shirt, at least. I want to feel your skin against mine."

She kicked off her heels and wiggled out of her jeans, watching him strip off his shirt. He struggled with the zip of his own jeans and swore under his breath before getting them shoved down out of the way.

Steph had caught his urgency and reached for him as he scooped her back into his lap. This time she spread her knees and sat on his thighs, her legs on either side of his on the seat.

One hand speared into her curls to tug her head down; his face lifted to hers, and she sank into his kiss.

His arms went around her, pulling her close against him, skin to skin. She felt a low groan vibrate through his chest and he took the kiss deeper, melting their mouths together. And the tearing urgency dissipated…

He kissed her deeply, letting her pull back and change the angle as she wished. His arms held her tight, then loosened and his hands began to stroke her. Up her back, across her shoulders, down her spine and across her rounded buttocks, all the way down her thighs to her knees and then back up. Over and over he stroked her, until they were slowly moving together in the tempo of their kiss.

Stephanie's head fell back and she struggled to breathe. "Ranger…" she sighed.

"I need to be inside you, Babe. Please, take me inside," he whispered against her neck.

She rose up on her knees, shifting to position herself. His hands slid around her waist and up, his thumbs teasing her breasts even as he steadied her. He felt her heat encasing him and she moved slowly, rising and falling, taking him in a little deeper each time. A rough sound escaped his throat and her fingers gripped his shoulders when finally they were fully joined.

"Babe," he whispered.

She kissed him, moving slowly against him, and he felt the tug as she pulled the leather tie from his hair. His kissed her throat when she put her head back, tried to tongue her nipples but her fists in his hair prevented him. He growled again and he heard her breathless laugh.

He shifted lower and braced his feet against the opposite seat. He slid one hand up to tangle in her hair and pull her head back; the other hand moved around to her breasts, palming one and holding it for his mouth. She cried out and twisted in his arms as he sucked and nibbled gently with his teeth. Then he switched and moved his attentions to the other side.

All too soon he felt her tightening around him. He wouldn't last…. Gently he pulled her hands from his hair and eased her back. "Lay back, Babe. Lie down on my legs."

Carefully he guided her down until her head rested just below his knees. A low groan escaped him at the sight. Even in the faint light of the car's interior he could see all the way down her body to the point they were joined. She squirmed slightly as if she could feel where his eyes lingered.

He ran his palms up her thighs, brushing the curls at their juncture and moving on up to her belly, her ribs. He stroked her skin, enjoying the feel of her and using the time to catch his breath and pull back from the edge just a little. Then he let his hands go back, sliding down her belly, one stopping to press gently just above her pubic bone, the fingers of the other slipping into the curls to find and tease her clit.

She jerked, a soft cry escaping her, and she tried to move. The hand on her belly moved up, stilling her, gentling her, then moved back down. The heel of his hand pressed down gently, and his fingers played. Circling, gently pinching, teasing the small nub until he could feel it swelling and the noises Steph was making became urgent.

"Touch your breasts, _amante_," he ordered softly. "Play with your nipples for me."

She complied, hesitantly at first. Then, as he rubbed harder, faster, she matched his pace, pinching at her nibbles and writhing. He felt the rippling of her inner muscles as she cried out with her first orgasm.

Before it had completely faded he'd pulled her up, settling himself deeper into her heat, capturing her mouth with his to taste her soft cries. Her hands found anchor in his hair again, holding his mouth to her skin as he trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses down her neck and latched onto a hard nipple.

Her thighs strained as she rose up and ground herself down on him. His hands wanted to help, to pull her harder against him. Instead he kept them moving, caressing her back, her thighs, sliding his thumbs up her belly to tease her breasts. She was almost there again, he could feel her growing tighter and hotter and tighter…

He felt the milking of her inner muscles just before she cried out, and it pulled his release from him with a force that nearly made him light-headed.

Stephanie melted against him and he pulled her close, cradling her head against his neck until their breathing approached normal. When she lifted her head he loosened his hold reluctantly.

"Wow," she whispered.

"Mmm," he agreed wordlessly, and kissed her.

A few minutes later she pulled back. "Umm, when I move there's going to be a mess," she said hesitantly.

He let go of her with one hand and felt around until he found fabric, then steadied her as she eased herself up and off him. He gave himself a quick, cursory swipe and then pressed the cloth gently between her legs to soak up the moisture they'd generated, holding it in place as she moved to kneel on the seat beside him. Then she took it from him and did what she could to clean herself up while he readjusted his now-damp jeans.

A small dip in the road made her loose her balance and he caught her close again.

"Mmm." She made a small appreciative noise at the feel of his bare chest against her skin. "Ah, do you know where any of my clothes went?"

"Not really." He wasn't too worried about them, they couldn't have gone far. He lifted her back into his lap, her legs on the seat on one side. His arm supported her shoulders on the other.

"Oops. I think this is – was – my shirt."

He took the soggy knit from her and tossed it on the floor. "You don't need it for a while anyway," he said. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her, and kissed her gently.

"Okay," she said softly when their lips parted. She stifled a yawn against his neck. "But if Hector gets pulled over and I'm naked I'll shoot both of you."

Ranger chuckled and made himself comfortable with his Babe curled in his arms.

-oOo-

The faint pop of the intercom coming on had Ranger lifting his head even before Hector's voice came quietly through the speakers. "_Estamos aquí_."

Ranger touched the button. "_Gracias_."

He looked down at the woman still cradled across his lap, her bare legs curled close on the leather seat. Her shirt was a casualty somewhere on the floor and he wasn't entirely sure where her jeans had gone. He probably ought to wake her up and help her get dressed. It was after midnight though, and no one was around except his men… still, he supposed she ought to have _something _on.

Finding his own shirt, he maneuvered it over her head and woke her enough to help get it the rest of the way on. It covered to her upper thighs – it was actually longer than some of her distraction outfits. It would be enough.

The limo rolled to a gentle stop and a moment later Hector opened the back door. He kept his body between the garage camera and the view in the backseat, earning a nod of approval from his boss.

A quick click of his remote, and Ranger slid out of the limo with Steph in his arms. He was dressed except for his shirt, and his hair was loose. Steph was wrapped neck to thigh in his shirt, but her legs and feet dangled bare.

"Our guns are in the compartment. Put them and everything else you find in the back into a bag and bring it up to seven. Ten minutes." Ranger ordered quietly.

"_Si, Jefe_," Hector replied with a nod and a very faint grin. "_Enseguida_." He pushed the elevator button for Ranger before turning back to the limo.

Once inside the elevator Ranger clicked his remote twice – once to scramble the cameras, and once for the seventh floor – then leaned against the wall until the doors opened again.

It wasn't hard for him to get her into the apartment and into the bedroom without waking her. She slept as soundly as a child in his arms and truthfully he didn't mind carrying her to bed. He smiled down at her for a moment. Then, running his fingers through his tangled hair to push it back, he headed back out to meet Hector. He was waiting in the hall when the elevator doors opened. Hector handed over the bag without a word and the doors closed again. Ranger went back in the apartment and locked the door.

He took the bag into the walk-in closet and took inventory as he emptied it. Steph's gun, his gun, Steph's bag, her shoes, shirt, bra, and panties – it was all there. Hector even found his hair tie.

He put the guns away and stripped, tossing all the clothes in the hamper and sitting their shoes on the shelves. He grabbed a pair of boxers from the drawer but didn't bother pulling them on, just carried them in and tossed them on the foot of the bed before crawling under the covers and pulling Steph back into his arms.

Stephanie woke as Ranger was slipping the shirt back up over her head. She struggled a moment before she recognized the feel of his skin and the soft texture of the sheets and relaxed.

"Ranger? I keep telling you, you don't have to carry me. Just wake me up." Her breath caught as Ranger's hands slid down her back and over her ass, shifting her. "You can't be serious… after what we did in…oh my god, you _are_! Wait! I need a few minutes in the bathroom first. Ahh…okay, one minute. I'll be right back."

Steph scrambled out of bed, shaking off the t-shirt that still hung from one elbow, and dashed into the bathroom without turning on a light. Ranger watched as she swung the door. It didn't close all the way and she didn't bother to shut it.

It amused Ranger that something as minor as Steph no longer needing a light to find her way around his bedroom made him so ridiculously happy. He stretched, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly letting his body relax into the mattress. Well, most of his body anyway. One part of his anatomy was standing at attention awaiting Stephanie's return.

She was back in just over the promised minute and Ranger wasted no time pulling her down onto the bed. He leaned over her, teasing her with barely-there kisses until she fisted her hands in his hair. His hand slid up her belly to cup her breast, his thumb brushing across a nipple rosy from their escapade in the limo. Her reaction told him she was still sensitized so he gentled his touch and his movements became languorous. They had all night…he could take his time.

-oOo-

The next morning his desk phone rang just as Ranger entered his office. It was Cal on duty in the control room.

"There's a call for Steph on the line, a man named Dimitri Kattetavios."

"Did you try upstairs?" Ranger asked, looking at his watch. It was a little after eight. She'd probably just gotten into the shower.

"No answer. Want me to take a message?"

"I'll take it," Ranger said. He pushed the button to switch lines. "This is Carlos, Dimitri. I'm afraid Stephanie isn't in yet. How is Luccichio this morning?"

"Ah, Carlos! I apologize for calling so early, but I wanted to tell you your instincts were correct. The vet found what he thinks is part of a thorn broken off in the leopard's paw, probably poisonous. There was a pocket of infection around it but he was able to remove the thorn and clean it out. Luccichio didn't appreciate the procedure when he woke up, but the vet is confident it will now heal completely."

"That's very good news for both you and Luccichio," Ranger said. "I'll pass that on to Stephanie. Would you like for her to call you back?"

"Not necessary, and she'd have to call Stravos's cell anyway. We probably won't be back at the hotel until evening. But you can let her know, the studio contact I talked to last night was very interested in the Resort party as a publicity appearance. They'll have to get official approval, of course, but I may have an answer as soon as this evening. Just tell her I'll call as soon as I hear back from them, yes?"

"I'll tell her. Thank you again, Dimitri, for your help."

They said goodbye, and Ranger leaned back in his chair shaking his head slightly. Steph had the damndest network of friends.

-oOo-

Stephanie stopped by his office at nine and he relayed the news from Dimitri.

"It looks like your plan is coming together nicely," Ranger said. He was surprised when she sank down to sit on the corner of his desk. "What's wrong? I thought you'd be pleased."

"I am. I think... It's just that--"

"What, Babe?" He got up and moved to stand in front of her, pulling her up and into his arms. "What's wrong?"

"It's _my_ plan," she said softly. "Ranger, you _know_ my plans never work! What if we do this and it falls apart like every other plan I've made? Hell, I even screw up _your_ plans."

He coaxed her head up to look at him and gave her a serious smile.. "You don't give yourself enough credit, _meil_. A lot of your plans work and I can't think of a single one of my plans you've managed to mess up. Besides, this isn't all on you. We all have a part in this. The idea for the distraction was yours and you're very good at distractions. You having the right friends is another stroke of luck. But tagging the target will be my job, the drug having the desired effect is on Bobby, and the weapon delivering the dart is Lester's part. Even Tank acting as decoy for me with the other guys plays a key role."

"What if we show up and they won't let me in with a big cat? That would be a problem."

"If they don't let you in, get upset with them. Throw a little fit if you want. The cat will get a little freaked out and scare a few people before you get it back under control, and then you stalk off."

Steph's eyes were staying on his face now without coercion. "And how would that not be a problem? You won't be inside."

"But during the disturbance Tank can slip in. He'll be dressed like security and have a second dart gun so he can take the shot, ditch the weapon. Santos and Brown will make sure he gets out okay."

She laughed softly and her arms slid up to pull his head down. "You're so good. Always one step ahead of me."

"Not always," he murmured, and met her kiss. He felt her smile beneath his lips before she deepened the kiss.

They drew apart a few minutes later before things became too heated.

"Okay, I feel better about my part of the plan now."

"Good. What are you doing today?"

"I'm going to the bonds office to drop off RangeMan's body receipts and see if Connie has anything for either one of us. After that it'll depend on if I've got any skips to work on. What about you?"

"I'll be around most of the day except for a client meeting early afternoon, and we're going to try to pick up Nicholas Delatorre later tonight. Let me know if you go after anyone, please, or if you hear from Dimitri," he requested. "You know you can call me anytime." He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze before finally letting go.

She smiled at him. "I'll see you later, then."

-oOo-

_**TBC… **_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: Characters from the books property of JE. Everything else is mine!**_

_A/N: A slightly longer chapter this time – I wanted to get to a stopping point that wouldn't get me yelled at! Playtime with Tank should be in the next chapter… Really! Thanks to Nichole (Magdalync) for coming to my rescue in the middle of the night! You rock! _

-oOo-

_**Chapter 5**_

Connie had files for her and for RangeMan, and it looked as if things might get busy this week. Stephanie looked quickly through her files to see if there were any regulars, or if she would need to do some research before she could get started. The only regular was Eula Rothridge.

"Lula, do you want Eula?" she asked. "She's usually not too difficult as long as you make sure her stuff is somewhere safe until she gets back. Usually I just put it in the trunk of my car – if you use lockers, don't give her the keys until you get her to the station."

"You don't want her?"

Steph answered, waving the files in her hands for emphasis. "It looks like it might be a little busy for a while is all. If you don't want—"

"I'll take her, never said I wouldn't. It's just that her stuff smells funny. Stinks up my car some."

"Put a couple of fabric softener sheets in your trunk before you go," Connie advised. "And then put a couple more in after. That'll take care of it."

Stephanie shot her a look. Why hadn't she ever offered that little tidbit of information to her?

Connie caught the glare and laughed. "Steph, your cars never last long enough to worry whether or not the trunk smells a little."

"Hey!" Stephanie protested with a half-laugh. "I haven't killed a car in months."

"Girl, you go for a year and then we'll talk," Lula laughed. "Besides, it helps that the home address where you park at night has changed."

Steph laughed and admitted the point. Lula took Eula's file. Connie handed over a check for RangeMan's apprehensions as well as one for hers, and Steph headed back to Haywood.

-oOo-

The rest of the day seemed to go quickly. She got to the RangeMan building only to find Ranger had gone out on a client call, taking Hector with him to check into problems with their security cameras' backup recording. She did some research on her new skips until time for lunch. Ranger hadn't made it back to the office yet, so she visited her parents and ate lunch with them.

Since Ranger had afternoon meetings, after Stephanie finished lunch she picked up Lula at the bonds office and they spent three hours checking bars to find one Melissa Mason, who'd been arrested for soliciting. As FTAs went she was relatively easy to bring in, partly because she was passed out in a back booth. Fortunately she didn't weigh much and they didn't have to call anyone else to help carry her to the car.

Since Lula avoided unnecessary trips to the cop shop, Stephanie dropped her off at the office to get her car before she took Ms. Mason to the station. By the time she'd gotten her receipt, gotten back to the Haywood apartment, and showered away the stale beer and smoke smell of the bars, her stomach was telling her it was time to eat. It was nearly the time they usually had dinner when the phone rang.

It was Dimitri.

"My dear Stephanie, you have made this old man very popular with the studio. They love the idea of the publicity appearance with a big cat, and have agreed to send a costume for the party."

"Really? Oh, wow! Do they need sizes or anything?" Steph asked, sinking onto one of the barstools at the kitchen counter.

"I don't think so. I believe something was said about a fitting." Stephanie frowned but before she could ask any other questions he continued. "The only problem is they've requested Luccichio for the appearance since he's to be featured in the movie. But he's only been handled by Ling Su and besides, I'm not sure his paw will be healed by then."

Stephanie thought hard, chewing her lip. "Have they seen Luccichio?"

"No, but they know he's a snow leopard. There are very few in captivity."

"Ok, maybe we can work something out. We'll find out what options we've got and I'll call you. I know you said you wanted to spend a little time with whatever cat we use before the appearance."

"Yes. It is my reputation, you see."

"I understand, and I really appreciate all your help."

They said good-bye and Stephanie sat thinking, absently chewing on the end of her thumb. When the phone rang again she jumped. This time it was Ranger.

"Babe, my client meeting ran late," he apologized. "Don't wait dinner for me. I've got to meet the team to pick up Delatorre in less than an hour."

"Did you even get to eat lunch?" Steph asked.

She could tell by his voice that he was smiling when he answered. "I had a sandwich. Save me a plate and I'll just eat when I get home. Are you in for the evening?"

"Yes. I'll see you when you get home. Don't get shot."

She thought she heard a chuckle before he hung up. Hearing him say 'home' – and saying it herself – gave her goosebumps and she was glad no one else was around to see the silly grin she was probably wearing. Rubbing her arms to get rid of the chill, she called Ella to ask what was on the menu for tonight, and would she please make a plate Ranger could re-heat a little later?

It was nearly nine by the time Ranger came in. Stephanie had already eaten and was curled up on the sofa watching a program about lions on National Geographic when she heard the door. She got up to meet him and was surprised to find him taking his boots off on the tiled entryway.

"Did everything go okay?" she asked curiously. Ranger _looked_ alright. Except for a smear of what looked like mud on the side of one knee, he looked just as clean and tidy as he had in the office this morning.

"Fair. Everything today just seemed to take a little longer than it should… the mixed up wiring this morning, the client meeting this afternoon, and tonight Delatorre was late showing up, then he spotted Tank and we had to chase him. He tried to jump a drainage ditch and fell in. Idiot nearly drowned in knee-deep water."

_Ah._ That explained the boots – which she could now see were wet – and why he sounded tired.

"Why don't you go take a quick shower and I'll heat up your dinner."

"Thanks, Babe."

Ella had left a plate with a clear glass dome over it for Ranger, and it only took a minute for Stephanie to move it from the refrigerator to the microwave. She waited until she heard the shower come on, fixed a glass of ice water first, then set the microwave. By the time she laid everything out on the table, Ranger was coming out of the bedroom wearing sweatpants and pulling on a t-shirt.

Stephanie got a Coke and sat down to keep him company while he ate. He was obviously hungry, and worked his way through the salmon steak, wild rice with mushrooms, and steamed vegetables fairly quickly. When he pushed the empty plate back and sat back, she spoke.

"Just before you called this evening, I got a call from Dimitri. The studio liked the option for the publicity appearance and has agreed to send a costume," she began, and held up a hand to indicate there was more before he could interrupt. "The only problem is they want Luccichio for the appearance."

"That could be a problem for us. That pale coloring makes Luccichio pretty unique. I doubt Dimitri would believe we could locate another trained snow leopard with similar coloring."

Stephanie took a deep breath. "I asked…. The studio hasn't seen Luccichio, they just know he's a snow leopard, and Dimitri says there are very few in captivity. I told him we would see what options we had and then we'd call him so he'd have a chance to see and work with the cat a little."

Ranger leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table. "How is that going to help if the studio wants Luccichio?"

"You said you could turn into any big cat, right?" she asked. She was so nervous she could barely breathe. Ranger nodded and she continued. "What if we 'found' a _white_ leopard? Not an albino, but one that's all white? We could present a white leopard to Dimitri, and tell him the silvery markings could be airbrushed onto the cat for the Resort party. Or we could go the other way and start with a regularly-marked snow leopard, and claim we could use some kind of paint trick to change his spots to silver."

"That might work…" Ranger agreed. "But Dimitri may want to know how the paint trick works."

Stephanie got up. "Let me show you something," she said. Ranger got up and followed her into the bathroom. She opened one of the drawers in the vanity and rummaged briefly before pulling out some sort of tube. "This stuff was really popular a few years ago. It's kind of like mascara, but meant for hair."

To demonstrate, she opened it and showed him the mascara-type wand. Then she separated a thin strand of hair from her curls and stroked the wand down it a few times, coloring it. Then she let it go and voila! She had a single bright-blue curl.

Ranger's lips quirked up and he fingered the curl gently, getting some of the still-wet blue on his thumb.

Stephanie screwed the wand back into the tube and dropped it back into the drawer. "The color is temporary and washes out. It's a little harder to find since the fad passed, but it's still around. The college theater group Stravos was involved in used it in white, silver, and gray to 'age' college kids for parts."

Ranger nodded, following her line of thinking. "We could introduce Dimitri to a snow leopard and you could demonstrate coloring a couple of the markings silver…"

"And maybe later you can just – umm – _do_ the silver markings."

"I think that will work." He tugged again on the now-dry blue curl. "Why did you have blue hair stuff?"

"Mary Lou and Lenny had a party during the playoffs, and I gave myself some blue streaks to root for the Rangers." When he didn't respond but looked deep in thought, Stephanie tilted her head to look up into his face. "What's wrong?"

He half-smiled and shook his head. "Nothing is wrong, I was just thinking. I need to make sure I can turn into a snow leopard… and I was wondering if there was anything I could wear that will change with me."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed and led her back into the bedroom. "When I've changed with clothes on, the clothes either don't come back at all or come back in pieces. I don't know if I'd be able to stash some clothes at the Resort before the party – but I really don't want to be sneaking around with a dart-gun in the buff."

Stephanie didn't even try to stifle her laugh. "Well, if you ran around in the nude you wouldn't need _me_ for a distraction! Every female in the place would be chasing you." She dodged his playful grab, landing on the bed laughing. Then she sat up and got serious, and asked what he'd been wearing when he'd changed before.

"Usually if I planned to change, I'd either have extra clothes or strip first," he said, sitting down beside her on the bed. "The first time I changed in front of Tank, when I had to change fast, I only took off my pants and boots. I had on socks, briefs, and a t-shirt, and only part of the t-shirt survived."

Steph pretended to be shocked about the underwear, and he elbowed her.

"The only other time I was in a hurry I was in a swimsuit, and came back without it. I had jeans in my truck but getting back to it was interesting… But since part of the t-shirt did survive I wonder if there's something that might come back whole."

Steph scrambled off the bed. "Give me a minute," she said, and disappeared into the closet. She was back in only a couple of minutes with an armload of clothes. "If you want to see if you can change into a snow leopard anyway, we can do an experiment. These are all made from different fibers… maybe one of them will work."

He took them and laid them out on the bed to see what she'd found. There was a cotton t-shirt, a pair of his silk boxers, leather moccasins, a lightweight wool sweater, polyester workout pants, and a nylon windbreaker.

One eyebrow quirked up as he looked up at her. "All at once for an acid test?"

"You might as well. That way you don't have to change back and forth."

Ranger laid aside the t-shirt – it was the same as the one he was already wearing – and started to slide off the sweatpants. Stephanie looked to make sure the blinds were closed in the bedroom, then went out to check the living room and dining room as well. By the time she came back into the bedroom, Ranger was wearing the odd assortment of clothing. It should have looked bizarre but since everything was black it didn't look all that strange.

"Are we ready?" he asked.

Her eyebrows went up. "_I'm_ ready. Do you need a picture of a snow leopard to look at or anything?"

"I don't think so." He took a breath, then the shimmer started and he seemed to fall forward – but landed on all four paws. A large snow leopard blinked up at her, black markings vivid against a snow-white coat.

"Wow," Steph breathed. "I don't think that will ever stop amazing me."

The leopard walked over to the chervil mirror in the corner and looked back at her. She obediently got up to angle the mirror so Ranger could see his cat form, then she sat back down on the end of the bed. Ranger sat and curled his tail around himself, then twitched it out straight again.

"Can you change to Luccichio's coloring without changing back? Or does it work like that?" she asked curiously.

The white coat shimmered and the black markings faded to pale gray.

"I think that's pretty close… Maybe even a little too light. We'll have to get photos of Luccichio from Dimitri," she mused. Then a giggle escaped her and she clapped a hand over her mouth. Ranger turned to look at her over his shoulder and the giggles intensified. He padded over to the bed and sat at her feet, putting his front paws up on either side of her.

"I'm not laughing at you, honest. It just occurred to me that I just asked a _leopard_ to _**change his spots**_. It struck me as funny and now I can't get it out of my head."

Ranger changed in place, coming back on his knees in front of her, chuckling. He made a grab for the silk sliding off his hips and got to his feet to see what clothing, if any, had survived.

Nothing seemed to be intact. Parts of the wool sweater and the cotton tee-shirt were still there. The elastic waistband of the boxers was gone. The workout pants vanished completely. The moccasins were mostly intact although the metal grommets were gone along with the laces. Oddly enough, the leather tie was still holding his ponytail.

Steph helped him pull off what remained so they could take a closer look. Ranger pulled his sweatpants back on.

The sweater was in pieces as it had been knitted, with the neck and wrist bands missing.

"The thread the seams were sewn with must not have been wool," Steph said, "and maybe there was elastic or lycra in the knit of the bands."

Ranger agreed.

The tee-shirt fared a similar fate, although only the neckband was missing. It was sewn with cotton thread, but likely the neckband had also had lycra in it.

"So maybe a natural fiber will change with me?" Ranger mused. He picked up one of the moccasins and examined it. "No metal. No synthetic fibers." He nodded to himself and went into the closet, coming out several minutes later wearing a pair of cotton pants with a self-fabric drawstring, carrying a silk knit shirt and a couple of the leather strips he used to tie back his hair. He threaded the leather through the holes in the moccasins as makeshift ties, and pulled on the shirt.

"Second try," he said, and shifted again.

This time the cat's spots were closer to the silvery color of Luccichio's. He looked at himself in the mirror then jumped up on the bed and head-butted Stephanie until she laughingly scratched his ears. Then he made a quick run through the apartment and changed as he was coming back into the bedroom. This time the clothing and shoes stayed put.

"That's a relief," Ranger said, dropping onto the bed beside Steph and stretching out across it. "I wasn't sure we'd be able to hide clothes beforehand at the Resort. As it is you're going to have to carry my gun in. Dart gun," he corrected when she looked at him. "Dimitri can pass it off as a safety precaution for the handler to have darts handy in case the cat gets unruly."

Stephanie climbed over him and sat on his stomach, grinning down at him. "Maybe the cat should get a little unruly – not enough to get a dart, but maybe a little skittish in the crowd after a while. Give us an excuse to get out of the crowd and hide out for a little bit so you can do your thing."

"Yeah," Ranger agreed, and yawned.

"It looks like my cat is tired," she said, sliding off him and brushing a smiling kiss against his lips. "Let's get some sleep."

Ranger let her pull his shirt off, and he traded the scrubs for his boxers while Steph did her nightly routine in the bathroom. When she came back to the bed a few minutes later he was already asleep.

-oOo-

Ranger woke to his alarm still feeling a little groggy. It was unusual for him, especially since he hadn't been up late. The only thing different was…he'd changed.

It hadn't seemed to affect him like this the last time, when he and Steph had played. But he'd been changed longer. Was that it? He thought back to the other times he'd changed, some briefly, some for a few for hours or even days. He remembered the time in the jungle with Tank, being completely exhausted by the time they'd rejoined their team. He'd always chalked it up to half-carrying Tank. But there were other times he'd been very tired, too. So what was different?

He rolled his head and looked at the curls spread out on the pillow next to him. Stephanie. Last time, Stephanie had been with him. And when he'd changed back he'd made love to her.

That couldn't be it. It was crazy. Wasn't it? _Abuela_ Rosa might be able to tell him but he wasn't about to ask her. There was another option. And his body was more than willing to cooperate.

Turning onto his side he surveyed the woman sleeping next to him. She was on her stomach, her face turned away from him. That alone told him he must have slept like the dead – usually they gravitated together during the night and ended up at least touching.

He slid the sheet slowly down her body to reveal that she was sleeping in a red tank top and dark blue lace panties, which made his smile widen. She looked like Wonder Woman.

She was _his_ Wonder Woman. She constantly amazed him. Not least of all because she loved him unconditionally and without reserve.

He traced his fingers down her spine gently, then back up. Brushing her hair away from her neck, he bent to press soft kisses against her shoulders, letting his hand drift lower again.

She had such a perfect ass… It fit his hand perfectly and he cupped it, squeezing it gently. His fingers brushed the scar where Jimmy Alfa shot her and continued down, slipping between her thighs. Steph stirred, making a low moaning sound, and he felt the familiar tightening in his groin.

Smiling, he nipped gently across the back of her neck. His hand traced the lace between her legs until he found the center of her heat, rubbing back and forth lightly until she shifted, moving her legs farther apart in invitation.

He traced back up her cheeks to the band and slid his fingers under the lace, working his hand back to her warmth. His fingers teased along her opening and continued to find the tiny nub. When he touched it he felt a shiver go through her body and her breath caught, and her hips lifted slightly to encourage him. She still was only half awake.

Scraping his teeth along the top of her shoulder, he continued to stroke her, coaxing her moisture to spread, making it easier to slip the tips of his fingers along her tender flesh. He slipped one finger into her heat very slowly and she groaned, moving against his hand.

"Ranger," she breathed. "Please…"

"Please what?" he asked very softly, his voice just above a whisper. "Do you want more?"

She shivered and tried to push herself against his hand. He pulled it back and started pushing the lace down her hips, pulling them all the way off her legs. She started to roll over but he held her in place with one hand splayed wide across her shoulder-blades. It took only a second to kick off the boxers and then he moved over her, his knees pushing hers wider, his torso lined up on her back but keeping his weight on his arms. He settled his groin against her sweet butt and she squirmed in protest.

He nipped the back of her neck, holding onto her skin between his teeth until she stilled. Then he licked the teeth-marks and kissed down her spine to the top of her tank top.

Her breath caught when he moved his hips, working to slowly slide his erection down along her tender flesh, coaxing her to open for him and her moisture to flow. It didn't take long for him to slide in just a little bit…and then he pulled back.

She pushed the pillow away from her face and tried to push her upper body up, but he grabbed her wrists, holding them loosely in his grip against the mattress on either side of her head. And he continued his slow, shallow thrusts.

Although her voice was muffled, he was pretty sure Steph was swearing at him, and it made him chuckle. The resultant vibration had her bucking back against him,

He relented, letting his thrusts go a little deeper with each slow thrust. She was hot and wet now, writhing beneath him to urge him on. It was easy to tell when he got deep enough to rub her sweet spot with each slow slide in, because shivers started running through her and her inner muscles clamped down tight.

Somehow she managed to get her knees under her and he shifted to accommodate the change in position. He rose up to his knees and braced his hands on her hips, then pushed the bottom of her tank top up her abdomen and over her breasts. Bracing one arm on the headboard he reached under her with the other and began to play with her breasts, kneading them first and then focusing on toying with her nipples. Each time he thrust she met it eagerly, crying out as her body wound tighter and tighter.

He was close. He leaned, curling both arms under her to lightly pinch her pebbled nipples, and his teeth closed on the back of her shoulder. He bit down as he felt his climax starting, felt her spasm and her desperate cry as she let go, too, and they collapsed in a heap. It took a moment for him to roll off of her, and she lay still but for her panting breath.

Once his breathing was under control, Ranger smoothed his hand up her back again, kissing along the bared skin. "Are you okay, Babe?" Her inarticulate reply made him smile. Pulling the sheet back up over her he brushed her hair from her face. "Go back to sleep, _meil_," he whispered, kissing her cheek. "_Te amo_."

Ranger took stock as he stood under the warm water in the shower. He felt completely recharged now, very energetic. He frowned. This anomaly definitely needed a little more research…

-oOo-

_**TBC**_…


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Characters from the books property of JE and borrowed without permission. Original characters and storyline are mine._

-oOo-

_**Chapter 6 **_

As if to make up for the previous day's problems, today everything was working like a well-oiled machine. By noon RangeMan teams had caught and turned in two FTAs and Stephanie and Lula and found and turned in one of theirs, and no one got hit, rolled in garbage, or shot at.

Stephanie called Ranger as they left the police station to let him know she was taking Lula out to lunch to celebrate. He surprised her by asking if he and Tank could join them.

"Sure," she said, her eyebrows shooting up. She looked at Lula in her passenger seat. "Lula, you don't mind if Ranger and Tank join us for lunch, do you?"

"Hell, no," Lula grinned, and licked her lips. "It's fine with me as long as we go where they have real food."

Ranger overhead Lula's comment and Stephanie could hear the grin in his voice. "You two can choose where we eat – just let us know where to meet you."

Lula suggested a barbeque place and they met the men there twenty minutes later. They sat at a table instead of their usual booth in deference to Tank's size – the booths were a little tight for him, and truthfully for Lula, too – but it didn't seem to bother Ranger. Stephanie wondered if it was because with Tank on the opposite side of the table they could basically watch each other's backs. In any case they all enjoyed their lunch.

Afterwards Tank drove Lula back to the bonds office, and Ranger followed Stephanie to her car.

"Do you have anything planned for this afternoon?" he asked.

"Ah, I knew you had something on your mind. No, I don't have plans. What's up?"

Ranger smiled and leaned up against her car while she unlocked the door. "I want to take Tank out to play with the cat, and was hoping you'd come with us. I think it might help if he can see for himself that you aren't afraid of me when I change."

"I'd be happy to tag along. Where will we go to play?"

"I know a place."

She looked at him, dressed in his usual cargoes and t-shirt. "What about your clothes?"

His grin widened and he pointed at her back seat. There was a folded pair of the cotton pants on the seat along with the pair of moccasins. The moccasins now had new leather laces.

Stephanie chuckled and held her keys out to him. "Since you know where we're going you probably ought to drive."

They headed north out of Trenton. Although she intended to watch where they were going, within ten minutes of pulling onto the highway Stephanie was asleep, half-turned towards Ranger so that her head was propped between the headrest and the passenger-side window. When she woke again some forty-five minutes had passed and Ranger was turning off of the highway onto a narrow unpaved road.

Stifling a yawn and sitting up straighter she looked around. Nothing looked familiar. "Where are we?"

"We're almost to Sentinel Bluff."

That didn't tell her much as she'd never heard of it. She decided not to ask again, though. She just waited.

Less than ten minutes later Ranger slowed and pulled the car off the road onto a dirt track that led to a small grassy clearing. There were large rocks exposed here and there, and some ruts left by tires when the soil was wet, but it was deserted and completely shielded by trees. Ranger drove slowly over the uneven ground to the far edge of the clearing before he turned the engine off.

"We walk from here. It's not far," he said as he opened his door. Steph pushed her own door open, wondering how far Ranger's version of 'not far' might be.

Ranger opened the back door and pulled out the clothes he'd left on the seat, then sat on the edge of the seat and began to untie his boots. She watched with a faint smile as he removed his boots and socks and then stood to peel off his t-shirt.

She got out of the seat and went around the back of the car so she'd have a unobstructed view. Ranger smirked at her but went on changing. She was a little disappointed when he unfolded the cotton pants and pulled out the t-shirt he'd damaged by changing in it the night before.

"I might as well not ruin any more shirts," he said as he pulled it on. The missing neckband revealed more of where his neck met his torso, and she got a little sidetracked watching the muscles moving beneath his skin before she realized he was stripping off the cargo pants…and her gaze dropped lower.

"Stop looking at me like that unless you want to give Tank a show," he growled a moment later as he dropped the cargo pants on the back seat and reached for the others. "We have five minutes, tops, before he gets here."

Now it was Stephanie's turn to smirk but she made sure to stay out of his reach even after he tied the drawstring. He reached for the moccasins just as Tank's big SUV pulled into the clearing and parked nearby.

Tank's face was blank as he climbed out of the vehicle and pulled a medium-sized duffel bag out of the back seat, and Steph figured he was probably a little nervous. Ranger acknowledged the big man with a nod and an almost-smile, and followed him into the trees.

Stephanie realized there was a trail of some sort but she could barely see it. It seemed to wander uphill and she wondered if it was an animal trail or one made by humans. Probably it didn't matter because it hadn't been used much or recently. After about ten minutes they came out of the trees at the top of the hill into a good-sized clearing. It was bordered on two sides by woods, on the third side by a good-sized stream, and the fourth side ended abruptly in a drop-off. The guys immediately went to the bluff. They walked a hell of a lot closet to the edge than Stephanie was comfortable with and looked out. She stayed farther back but was speechless at the view. Below them lay the Delaware River, and the land spread out for miles.

"Wow," Stephanie breathed. Ranger grinned at her and Tank relaxed enough for his grin to flash briefly.

"I always loved this place," Ranger said. Tank grunted in agreement and after one last look at the view they both turned back toward the stream.

There was a sandy gravel bank between the edge of the water and the grass. Tank set the duffel bag down on a small mostly-flat rock, unzipped it and pulled it open.

"I brought some water," he said, pulling out a couple of bottles and tossing one to Ranger. Next came an old quilt, folded and rolled. "If you want, you can sit on this." He offered it and a bottle of water to Stephanie and she took them with a smile.

Both men drank some water then Ranger capped his bottle and set it on one of the rocks. "Are you ready?"

Tank took a deep breath and put his water bottle next to the bag. "I think so."

Ranger nodded. "We will take things slow. Just remember I'm still _me_. I can hear and understand everything you say, I just can't talk. You know I would never hurt you on purpose. If you get uncomfortable just tell me, I will change back and we can do something else. Okay?"

Tank's nod was more decisive. "Okay."

Ranger sat down in the grass cross-legged and apparently at ease. "I'll tell you the whole story from the beginning," he said. "Maybe that will help."

As he had for Stephanie two months earlier, he explained a little about his grandmother's heritage and the gift of the shifting charm she'd made for him when he joined the Rangers. He pulled the loose neck of the t-shirt aside to show Tank the little black dragon tattoo even though Tank had seen it many times before. "I'm not a _were_-anything," he said as he was nearing the end of the story. "My mind stays the same. I can change any time I want, into any large cat. The only real catch to the charm is that if I go too long without using it, it will build up and force me to change. I can feel when it's getting close, though, so I've never had an uncontrolled change." He paused for a minute to let Tank digest all that and then he asked, "Do you have any questions you want to ask before I change? I can't talk in cat form."

Tank looked away for a moment and cleared his throat. "At the risk of sounding like a wuss… I remember very vividly the size of the claws on that leopard. I know you won't slice me on purpose, but how likely is an accident?"

Ranger smiled at him reassuringly. "Not a wuss question. There is a slight possibility, although I'll be as careful as I can. All cats except cheetahs can retract their claws and I'll keep mine retracted. But there are certain pressure points that make them extend even if I don't want them to, just like on a housecat, so I can't give you a one-hundred-percent guarantee I won't accidentally scratch you."

"Fair enough." Tank didn't seem to have any other questions.

"Okay," Ranger said. "Dimitri says the studio people want his snow leopard Luccichio for the promotional appearance at the Resort's party, so I'm going to change into a snow leopard first – one with regular coloring – and then get as close as I can to Luccichio's silvery markings. Did you bring a ball? We can play a little pong if you want. Maybe on four legs I can beat you."

Tank gave a startled little laugh. Ranger grinned at him, then started to shimmer, flopped over onto his back, and rolled to his feet as a snow leopard.

Tank took an involuntary half-step back. "Fuck me!" he swore under his breath. After a moment he shot a look at Stephanie and said, "Sorry, Steph."

Stephanie had to grin. "No problem. It's pretty amazing, isn't it? I mean – I see him change with my own eyes and still can't quite wrap my mind around it."

Tank thought she was doing pretty damn well. She was sitting on the old quilt at the edge of the grass, smiling, holding her hands out as the big black and white leopard ambled towards her. He was fairly sure his mouth dropped open as he watched her scratch the big cat's ears and hug his neck. Then the leopard tried to lie down on her quilt and she shoved at him, laughing, trying to push him over. That big head swung around and licked her cheek and she yelled _**hey!**_ and grabbed him by the fur on either side of his face.

"Do you really like the taste of my make-up in your mouth?" she railed, and Tank found himself with a huge grin on his face. Somehow it didn't seem at all strange that Stephanie would go face-to-face with a leopard without fear.

Stephanie saw Tank's grin and smiled at Ranger. This was going to work out okay.

"Why don't you show Tank what Luccichio looks like," she told Ranger. "I'll just sit here and watch."

RangerCat made a _prrrup_ noise and padded toward Tank. Between one step and the next he shimmered and his fur changed to the silver-marked coat of the rare snow leopard. In the sun the silver was even more striking, and Stephanie heard Tank's indrawn breath.

The leopard stopped a step away from Tank's legs and sat down much the same way he had with Stephanie in his living room. The big black man looked a little dumbstruck but he reached out and laid his hand on the cat's head with only the slightest of hesitations. Ranger leaned into the touch slightly and Steph heard him start the rumbling purr.

Tank's face went through some interesting changes as he his fingers stroked the warm fur. His knees bent and he slowly knelt down to the cat's level. "RangeMan, I thought there was nothing left in this world that would surprise me…and I just keep getting proved wrong."

Stephanie watched as Tank came to grips with the idea that Ranger and the big cat were one and the same, then got up and found the old soccer ball in the bag. She tossed it over their heads and out onto the grass. Tank jumped to his feet and RangerCat took off running toward the ball, and she settled herself back on the quilt.

They played a game resembling a cross between soccer and tennis for a good forty-five minutes, until Tank was glistening with sweat and RangerCat was panting slightly. Then Tank toed the ball up and caught it in his hands while he caught his breath.

"You move pretty damned fast, RangeMan," Tank said. "I think having four paws must give you more traction when you're changing directions like that."

A few minutes later they were almost back to their normal breathing patterns, and Stephanie overheard Tank's request even though his voice was quiet.

"Hey, Ranger? Would you show me the black leopard?"

RangerCat had been lying on his side in the grass. Now he got to his feet to face Tank but didn't move any closer. Again he shimmered and the glossy black leopard stood motionless in the grass.

There was only a tiny hitch in Tank's even breathing. Stephanie sighed happily, smiling at Ranger. The black leopard really was a beautiful animal. The bright sunlight revealed the faint black-on-black markings normally not visible in the glossy fur.

"Yeah, you make a damned _big_ black cat," Tank joked just a little shakily. "I wondered sometimes if I'd imagined that whole thing." A few heartbeats later Tank took a slow step towards Ranger. "Is this fur as soft as the snow leopards?" he asked. His hand was steady as he touched the head and stroked the fur, sliding down to scratch his ears. Tank's face clearly showed his surprise that the black cat's fur was silkier. Tank seemed to have one more question, asking, "Are your claws black or white in this form?"

Ranger stretched his front legs out, extending long extremely sharp black claws before digging them into the ground and stretching.

"Yeah," Tank said, taking a deep breath with a little effort. "I remember those claws." Then he shook it off and stood up straight. "Have you ever changed into a lion? I've always wanted to see a lion up close."

Ranger obliged, turning into a huge African lion. Stephanie thought he looked like one of the big man-eater lions in the movie "The Ghost and The Darkness", the one lion with the dark mane. Without warning the lion roared, making Stephanie and Tank both jump.

"Shi-iit!" Tank exclaimed, laughing. "You scared the crap out of me. I nearly pissed my pants!"

Stephanie was laughing, too. Tank had been spending a lot of time around Lula – he was starting to sound like her.

"How fast can lions run? Now that I've got this adrenaline rush I bet I could beat you. Want to race? We can race to that big red rock over there and back. Ready?"

The lion turned to face the rock with Tank. Tank called back over his shoulder. "Hey, Steph! Would you play starter for us?"

She got up and went to stand next to them, smiling. "Okay, around the rock, and the first one back here wins. On your mark…get set….GO!"

They took off, both running flat out. They were evenly matched and stayed dead even all the way around the rock and most of the way back. Tank pushed hard and managed to get a step ahead of RangerLion just as they crossed the 'finish line' where Stephanie stood. They both took only a few more steps before dropping to the grass to catch their breath.

Tank started laughing, still out of breath, and the other two both turned to look at him. He just curled up and laughed harder.

"Oh, man!" he exclaimed a few minutes later as he flopped over onto his back and wiped at his eyes. "Good to know I can out-run a lion if necessary. Never know when that might come in handy."

Ranger-Lion roared.

"You did _NOT_ win! I was at least a foot in front of you. Admit it, man," Tank argued, and Stephanie burst into laughter.

They played a little while longer. Ranger explored the limits of his forms, changing into a huge Bengal tiger, a mountain lion, and finally a bobcat. The bobcat was pushing the lower limits of size, though, and at roughly fifty pounds was considerably larger than a normal wild bobcat would be. It was roughly one-fourth Ranger's normal weight, though, so it was still a pretty damned impressive magic trick.

Tank and Steph played keep-away with the bobcat until the light began to fade. It was near twilight when they called it a day and headed back to the vehicles. Ranger stayed in bobcat form until they were nearly to the cars, shifting back to himself in the shadow of the woods just before they left the tree-line.

He staggered slightly, catching himself against a tree trunk. Stephanie reached out to him in concern.

"Okay, a sudden change in size throws my balance off a little," he mused out loud. "That didn't happen with the leopards."

"Are you sure it wasn't from changing so many times in one afternoon?" she asked.

He shrugged slightly as he straightened and started walking again. "I don't know. Possibly. I've never changed forms that many times in one day before."

Tank had reached his SUV and called out to ask them if they wanted him to wait.

"Go ahead," Ranger answered. "We'll be headed out soon. See you tomorrow, Tank – and thanks."

Tank just waved a hand and got in, driving out of the clearing a moment later.

Ranger stumbled going across the rocky ground and this time Stephanie caught his elbow.

"All right, what gives? Are you okay?"

-oOo-

_**TBC…**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Short chapter but better than nothing. I'm so behind! I'm not ready for Christmas yet! LOL, I thought being home would actually let me get things done… Wrong. Oh, well. Happy Holidays, everyone!**_

_Disclaimer: see previous chapters._

_-oOo-_

_**Chapter 7**_

Ranger made a sound like a half-laugh as he took the last few steps to the car and leaned back against the hood. "I don't know. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to bounce between forms like that. Give me a few minutes to see if this passes." He leaned over and braced his hands on his knees.

Stephanie went to her knees in front of him, looking up at him with worried eyes. "Do you feel sick?"

"No," he tried to sound reassuring. "Tired. I feel like I just ran a marathon."

She fell silent but he could almost hear the gears turning in her head. She waited through the requested amount of time before she spoke again, and then she kept her voice calm and soft.

"You felt like this last night, too, didn't you. You went out like a light and it was still fairly early." She waited until he confirmed it with a small nod before she went on. "The first time you changed with me two months ago this didn't seem to happen – did I just not notice?"

He just shook his head, wondering if she would come up with the same theory he had.

"You seemed fine this morning, though… Yesterday was a tiring day, do you think you just overdid it?"

Ranger reached for her hands, straightening from his bent position and pulling her up off the ground and into the vee of his legs, holding her close against his body. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "Actually, when I first woke up today I still felt wiped out. I felt better…after."

She pushed back in the circle of his arms to peer up at his face. "After?" She looked puzzled for a minute, then she replayed in her head how he'd awakened her that morning. He saw the moment she realized what he was saying, and her faint blush was visible even in the fading light. "You think…?"

He chuckled, pulling her close again. "I don't know, Babe. Maybe it was making love to you, or maybe that first time was different because I slept for a while in cat form. I don't know. And it's not exactly something I want to ask my _abuelita_ about!"

"Me, either!" Stephanie smiled uneasily. She hadn't met any of Ranger's family yet and she was a little nervous about the whole idea. A grandmother that was powerful enough to give Ranger the ability to actually shape-shift wasn't someone she wanted upset with her – and she kept picturing Grandmother Rosa as being something like Joe's Grandma Bella, only with _**real**_ magic. She didn't want to be turned into a frog. "Well, we could experiment. You could snooze in the backseat in leopard form on the way back to Trenton – or we could indulge in a quickie and see what happens."

"How fast a quickie are we talking about?" Ranger asked huskily with his lips against her ear, making her shiver.

"If we're out here in the open it'll have to be pretty quick – and with limited exposure. I don't want to be a mosquito smorgasbord. If we're in the car, well, I wouldn't rush you."

Actually he would have preferred to spread her out on the hood of the car and take his time but he understood her reasons – mosquitoes did seem to love the taste of her. He looked at her old Monte Carlo, painted an unfortunate orange, and wished it was Big Blue. Still, he chose being cramped over being rushed.

He got in the passenger side, pushed the seat as far back as it would go and reclined it. Stephanie stripped off her jeans and climbed in, slamming the door behind her. She fell across his lap, stifled a giggle, and began to tug at his shirt.

"I want you naked, Ranger. I want to see you naked in the seat of my car so I can picture you here anytime I want." She got his shirt off and tossed it into the back seat, then slid onto the floor between his feet to untie and tug at his pants.

He let her strip the pants off his legs, wincing with her once when she bumped her head against the dashboard. Then she leaned forward and licked him and he groaned.

"I thought you said you wouldn't rush me," he ground out as she continued to tease him with warm breaths, quick touches of her tongue, and tiny nips.

"I changed my mind. Scoot down," she urged, "and put your hands behind your back."

He slid down in the seat and let her push his knees wide apart. When she reminded him he tucked his arms behind his back and was rewarded with another lick of her tongue. Then, before he even realized she'd moved she'd pulled the seatbelt across him and buckled it tight, pinning him.

"Hey!" he protested.

She smirked up at him from between his thighs. "You wouldn't let me touch you this morning – turn about is fair play!"

His argument died in his throat as her mouth enveloped him in wet heat, taking him from half-hard to full attention with breath-stealing speed. Her nails scratched lightly up and down the inside of his thighs and paused to toy with the soft skin between his legs. His eyes were threatening to roll up onto the back of his head.

"God, Babe!" he swore, breathing hard.

She let him slide out of her mouth slowly. "I think we should experiment. If sex, um, recharges your batteries… will any form work? Sexual touch, your own release, full intercourse… What will it take?"

Before he could formulate an answer she resumed her activity, letting her hands roam. Her fingertips stroked, her nails scratched lightly, her fingers gently pinched. It didn't take long until he was on the edge…

She broke the contact a moment before he would have come, to whisper with her lips a hair's breath away from his throbbing tip. "What do you think? Anything yet?"

He began to fight against the restraint of the seat belt as she s-l-o-w-l-y worked her mouth back down his length, letting her teeth scrape lightly. He was panting when he wrenched one arm loose in a desperate race against the rising pressure. He only had time to bury his fingers in her curls as the release burst over him.

Chest heaving, his hand still tangled in Stephanie's curls, he watched through hooded eyes as she let him slip slowly from her mouth and gave him one last lick. Then she reached up and removed the seatbelt and began to kiss her way up his torso, exploring his abdomen and his belly-button. By the time she reached his chest he'd caught his breath and had both hands in her hair to drag her mouth up to his. When she finally complied he kissed her hard and deep.

When he broke the kiss she blinked a few times and then a smile bloomed across her face. "I guess that did the trick?" she asked in an amused tone. "Do you feel recharged?"

"You have no idea," he rasped, and pulled her up from the floor and onto his lap. Her eyes widened in surprise when he pulled aside her panties and thrust up into her. The sudden intense pleasure sent shudders through her and she moaned even as Ranger caught her mouth in another kiss.

There wasn't a lot of room even in the old car but it didn't matter. Stephanie stretched her upper body over Ranger's, her knees tucked up on the edge of the seat, and took control. She took what she wanted and he let her, reveling in her wild abandonment, urging her on until they were both spent and breathless and their breath had cloaked the windows in fog.

-oOo-

_**TBC…**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer: Characters from the books belong to JE and are borrowed without permission. The story and any new characters belong to me.**_

_A/N: Short one, but I'm antsy to post – getting closer to the main event, the distraction at the Resort party! Who thinks that will not go quite as smoothly as planned? LOL, want to know what I'd love for Christmas? For everyone to hit the 'review' button and tell me where they're from – not specifically, just state or country would be great. I look at the reader tracking on the stats page and get so CURIOUS! I guess I'm a cat at heart, too! Happy Holidays! Stay safe!_

-oOo-

_**Chapter 8**_

It was almost nine when they got back to the Haywood building, and once again Ranger carried a sleeping Stephanie into the elevator. At least they'd gotten dressed before driving back to Trenton this time so scrambling the cameras wasn't necessary.

Steph woke up in the elevator and talked Ranger into putting her down. She followed him into the apartment under her own steam.

"I'm starving, Babe. Will it bother you to eat dinner this late?" Ranger asked.

"If it's okay with Ella, it's okay with me. I'm hungry, too. I'm going to take a shower."

Ranger made a brief call to Ella then went to join Steph in the shower. When they made it back to the kitchen there was a plate of sandwiches and a tureen of soup waiting for them. They talked about their afternoon with Tank while they ate, glad he'd come to terms with Ranger's alternate forms. Steph started yawning as they cleaned up. The play and fresh air – and the 'recharging' sex – had worn her out. Ranger just smiled and, even though it was still early, he took her to bed.

-oOo-

Steph stepped out of the shower in time to hear her cell ring at eight-fifteen the next morning. Grabbing a towel, she dashed for the bedroom. She'd left her phone charging on the nightstand.

Grimacing at her dripping hair she hit the speakerphone button to answer. "Hello?"

It was Stravos. "Good morning, Stephanie! I hope I didn't wake you," he said cheerfully.

"No," Steph laughed. "I was just getting ready for work. What's up?"

"Uncle Dimitri wants to speak to you, but just as the call went through the vet came with a few questions. They should only be a few minutes."

"Okay." She carried the phone with her back to the bathroom to grab a towel for her hair. "Do you know what Dimitri wants to talk about?"

"He is anxious to meet the cat you will provide for the costume party, to assure himself it is well-trained. You understand."

Steph smiled even though he couldn't see her. She wouldn't exactly call Ranger _well-trained_, at least not in the taking-orders department – he was very comfortable with his position as boss. "I do understand. His reputation and livelihood could be compromised if our cat caused a problem during the party."

"Yes, exactly, I knew you would understand. Here is Uncle Dimitri, I will put him on."

There were the sounds of the phone changing hands, then Dimitri's voice. "Good morning," she greeted him. "I hear you're ready to meet our cat. When would be a good time for you, and where?"

Dimitri chuckled softly. "I see Stravos has cleared the way for me. We will have several free days while Luccichio's paw heals. The veterinarian has kindly agreed to check on him for me. Stravos has some personal business he'd like to take care of, so I will be at your disposal."

Stephanie's brain ran quickly through several ideas until she found a workable one. "Let me make a few calls and see what I can arrange. I'll call you back in about an hour, will that be all right?"

"That would be very good. It will give us time to get back to the hotel."

"Do you have transportation?"

"Stravos has arranged to rent a car for his use. I can easily do the same or take the train."

"Let me see what I can work out first, okay? I'll talk to you soon."

Disconnecting, she dropped the phone on the bed long enough to wrap the towel around her hair and finish drying off. She put on underwear, a bra, and a pair of jeans, then went back into the bathroom to run conditioner and a comb through her hair before it went wild. With yet another dry towel around her shoulders she went back to the phone and called Ranger.

He'd just finished a staff meeting and was walking back to his office. As succinctly as possible Stephanie relayed the call and asked when a good time would be, and did he have somewhere in mind?

"I think something can be set up for this afternoon," he said. "I'll need to arrange a few things with Tank. Do they have transportation to Trenton?"

"Dimitri said he was willing to rent a car or take the train. Do you want him to come here?"

"Babe, the party's in three days. If they have someone to look after their leopard Dimitri might as well come this direction. He can stay here if he likes, or we can set him up in Atlantic City or Philly. He can relax and still be close for the Resort party." He paused a moment then continued, "Call him and ask where he'd like to stay. We can fly him up and back, and we'll take care of his expenses. I need to talk to Tank and see what I can come up with for a place, and I'll call you back."

After Steph hung up she bent over and put her head between her knees for a moment. Things were moving fast now and she hoped she didn't mess up. So far so good. She took a deep breath and got up to finish getting ready for the day.

Half an hour later she was dressed, with her hair dried and makeup on, and sitting down at the kitchen bar with a cup of coffee, her phone, and a notepad. She'd allowed enough time for them to get back to the hotel so she made her call.

Shortly after she'd finished talking to Stravos and Dimitri, Ranger called and asked if she could come down to his office. She grabbed her notes and her keys and headed out the door.

Tank was in the office with Ranger. Both men smiled at her as she came in and sat down in the chair opposite the desk.

"What have you got?" Ranger asked.

Steph put her notes on the desk and held her pen poised. "Okay… Dimitri doesn't mind flying in small planes. He would like to come directly to Trenton, meet the cat, and spend the night somewhere in Trenton. There's a place near Philly where he'd like to stay for a few days but he said he'd drive himself in a rental car, and for Friday's party he will meet us wherever is convenient on the way to Atlantic City."

"Good," Ranger nodded. Then he took his turn. "There's no problem flying him here. I can have a driver take him to the airport in New York, and Tank will pick him up here. There's a studio on four he can use and we can provide a car for a few days. There's a small warehouse near the airport we can use for the meet late this afternoon."

"How are we going to work having him meet the cat?"

"Tank will drive Dimitri to the warehouse. We'll have you leave fifteen minutes before them to 'pick up the cat'. I'll be waiting in the garage and ride with you, out of sight of course, and change before we arrive."

They were all silent for a moment as they went back through it in their heads, then Steph spoke up.

"Dimitri doesn't have a cell – he has been using Stravos' phone. Can we provide a phone for the duration in case we need to get a hold of him quick?"

"No problem," Tank answered before Ranger could. Steph flashed him a smile and went to her next question.

"What is our cat's name?"

Both men gave her a blank look.

"Oh, come on! The cat has to have a _name_! And preferably one I can pronounce."

Tank looked at Ranger; Ranger looked back at Tank.

"I guess I could call our cat 'Ricky'…" she said, cutting her eyes to Ranger. She knew he disliked that particular nickname.

"Manchado," he said. "The cat's name can be Manchado."

Steph gave him an assessing look. "That doesn't translate to anything embarrassing, does it?"

Ranger's lips quirked up at the question, and Tank laughed.

"It means 'spotted' in Spanish, Steph," Tank told her. "I guess you could call him 'Spot' for short."

Ranger shot him a look that promised retribution as Stephanie laughed.

"No, I'll be nice and use Manchado. Did I pronounce it right?" When they both nodded she smiled and got up. "Will Manchado object to wearing a collar? I think he needs to have one – especially since Catwoman will be wearing one."

Sighing, Ranger shook his head. "You probably ought to get a leash, too, to make things look convincing – just don't get the collar too small, okay?"

"Trust me," she said, and headed back out the door.

-oOo-

An hour later Steph had been to three big pet stores, and had found a thin jeweled leash, but the collars in the larger sizes were plain sturdy nylon in plain colors. Heading back to her car from the third store she happened to glance into the window display of the store next door and her eye caught on the perfect solution. On one of the mannequins was a black leather belt studded with rhinestones of all sizes. She went in and bought one. If Ranger didn't like it, well, she'd just keep it. It was a cool belt.

Next she visited a beauty warehouse and, after going up and down every aisle and asking every employee she found, she finally located the hair-mascara tubes and bought a couple of silvery-gray for the 'demonstration' – and then bought a multipack of funky colors for herself.

Just before she got back in the car her phone beeped with a text message from Ranger. Dimitri was on a plane headed for Trenton. Her stomach did a slow nervous roll again, then it started growling. She couldn't do much about the nerves but she _could_ eat something. She texted Ranger back that she was coming in for lunch, and did he want to join her?

"Meet you on 7," was his reply.

-oOo-

_**TBC…**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer: Characters from the books property of JE and borrowed without permission. The story and original characters (including RangerCat!) are mine.**_

_A/N: Happy New Year! I'm working on my resolutions! I hope this year brings good things to all of you._

_Please, if you would, just leave me a quick 'review' and let me know what part of the planet you're from. My inner cat is curious… And I always love to hear what you think!_

-oOo-

_**Chapter 9**_

Ella had left them a cold lunch buffet. There was a plate with a variety of small sandwiches and a big bowl of Caesar salad in the fridge, and three kinds of chips on the counter.

Ranger wasn't surprised to find Steph perched on a barstool sipping a Coke from the can instead of eating. He suspected she'd be nervous about this afternoon.

"Hey, Babe," he greeted her, one hand cupping her face for a kiss. He deepened the kiss until he felt her lean into him, then he pulled back slightly. "I have this _urge_ to practice our quickie technique," he whispered against her cheek. "Want to help me?"

She made a soft sound of agreement and slid off the stool into his arms, her hands already moving to pull his shirt free.

With a smile he began to walk her backwards, his hands on her waist steadying her as she stepped out of her shoes. By the time they reached the dining room her jeans and panties were hobbling her legs, and they slid to the floor as Ranger picked her up and sat her on the edge of the table. The little squeak of surprise she made at the feel of the cool wood beneath her made him chuckle. He helped her pull her shirt off and spread it on the table behind her. Then he pulled his own off and dropped it beside her before pulling out a chair and seating himself between her legs.

Stephanie's eyes were wide and a little unfocused as he ran his fingertips up her sides to the band of her bra, then across to pop the front clip, spreading the cups wide to release her breasts into his hands.

"I thought this was going to be a quickie," she protested weakly, her eyelashes fluttering closed as he played with her nipples.

"It will be. I won't even mess up your hair," he promised, his voice low and edgy. His hands slid down and spread her legs wide, groaning in satisfaction when he saw moisture already gleaming there for him. He kissed her there anyway, tasting her, before pushing the chair back and getting to his feet. He eased her down until her back was on the table, protected by her discarded shirt.

He kissed his way up her stomach as he released his belt and the zipper of his cargos, then sucked her nipples one after the other as he shoved the fabric down his legs. Stephanie cried out as he worked himself inside her with short, shallow thrusts, until he was buried deep inside her wet heat.

She writhed below him on the table and it was an effort to keep control. He let his fingers play with the nub hidden by the soft curls until her body tightened and her back began to arch. Then he lightly pinched her nipples, still pink from his mouth, triggering her orgasm – and with it his own.

When the ripples settled he used his shirt to clean them up. Steph was blinking her eyes, dark sapphire flashing between her lashes.

"Quick enough?" he asked teasingly.

"What?" she asked, trying to focus.

He laughed and pulled her into his lap as he sat down. He held her close until she started to squirm against him, then kissed her gently and let her go. She gathered her scattered clothes and got dressed with trembling hands. He fastened his cargoes and washed his hands and then got the food ready. He deliberately left his shirt off while they ate to keep her distracted. It worked, too, until Tank called to say he was on his way back from the airport with Dimitri and Ranger went to get a clean shirt. When he got back to the kitchen Steph was leaning back against the bar with her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed.

"Using food and sex to distract me? You're getting sneaky," she accused.

Ranger grinned. "I've always been sneaky, Babe," he said, pulling her stiff body against his. "You were too nervous to eat. Besides, sex with you is not exactly a hardship. I always want more."

She smacked his chest and pulled away, heading for the door. He followed her, wondering if he'd messed up. She stopped and turned suddenly as she opened the door, rising onto her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips.

"Thank you," she whispered, and then she headed to the elevator leaving him to catch up.

-oOo-

They met Tank and Dimitri in the hall on the fifth floor.

"I put him up in apartment four for tonight," Tank told Ranger as they headed into Ranger's office. Steph remembered the little apartment she'd once used. It was small but nice – much better than a hotel room.

Dimitri was looking around with interest. Stephanie wondered what he was thinking. Had he had doubts about her story? If so, evidently seeing the offices had relieved him somewhat.

"How was your flight?" Steph asked.

"It was very pleasant," Dimitri replied with a smile. "And the big man, Tank, took me to lunch on the way here. A place called Shorty's? We had pizza."

Steph laughed. She couldn't believe Tank had taken Dimitri to Shorty's. "It's quite the experience, isn't it? The food there is wonderful, but I think we'll take you somewhere a little nicer tonight. Oh, and that reminds me – do you need a tux or something for the Resort party?"

"Yes, but I've taken care of that. I already had one ordered from Philadelphia anyway, I'll just pick it up in person tomorrow."

Ranger had been listening. "Would you allow us to pay for your tuxedo and for your lodging until you return to New York?"

"That's not necessary," Dimitri smiled. "The tuxedo is a business expense, and I've been promising myself a few days in Philadelphia for nearly a year now. But I will let you buy me dinner. Stephanie just promised to take me someplace nice."

"I think we can handle that." Ranger glanced at his watch. "Unfortunately I have a client waiting so I won't be able to come with you to the meeting. I'll leave you in Stephanie's hands."

He moved around the desk toward the door, stopping to give Steph a kiss on the temple. "Take care, Babe," he said just loud enough for the others to catch, and he slipped a set of keys into her pocket.

"You, too. See you later."

Ranger headed out, and Stephanie turned to Tank. "You took Dimitri to _Shorty's_?" she challenged with a grin. "Are you trying to scare him off?"

Tank gave a little shrug. "Well, he said he wanted to eat somewhere different…" he defended, and trailed off when Stephanie and Dimitri started to laugh. He grinned. "Well, if you'll excuse me for a few minutes I'll make reservations at Rossini's for later to make up for that."

While he was gone Steph and Dimitri sat down and talked about Stravos. She was curious how he came to be working with his uncle when it was far from his previous career.

"I'm not getting any younger," Dimitri said. "I had hoped Stravos could take over for me, but he does not have the way with animals. He makes a very good manager, though, and is excellent with money. So I will begin to find new partners, like Ling Su if she wishes to stay, and Stravos will handle the bookings and money. It will work out well, I think."

"Yes, I think so, too," Steph agreed. For all his open and friendly personality, Stravos had a very sharp mind and a knack for business. "You are lucky to have each other."

"Maybe it is our destiny, as was the two of you meeting in college. If you had not met Stravos, I would not have met you and would not be taking part in this adventure," he gestured with a smile. "Chance or fate – it makes one wonder, does it not?"

Stephanie's smile revealed her surprise. "You're quite philosophical."

"I've been around a long time and seen many strange things. So I guess it was inevitable!"

Tank poked his head back in the door. "Steph, it's time for you to go get the cat. We'll follow you shortly."

-oOo-

Steph took a deep breath as she stepped out of the elevator into the garage. She made a quick detour to her car and got her purse and the bag holding the belt and the leash, then pressed the 'unlock' button on the remote Ranger had slipped into her pocket to see which vehicle he wanted her to take. She was not entirely surprised when it was the Cayenne, with its darkly tinted back windows.

Ranger was slouched down in the front passenger seat when she got in – no hiding in the back for him. She started the engine and asked, "Where to?"

"It's a small brick warehouse just outside the airport," he said. "It's programmed into the GPS. Did you find a collar and leash?"

Steph handed him the bag and concentrated on the road. She was a little surprised to hear him chuckle.

"This is a belt," he said.

"I know," she said defensively. "The only large collars they had were ugly. This is a little bigger than the collars, and it looks better. Don't you think it will work?"

"I think it will work," he said after he'd looked at the buckle and d-ring belt-loops. "But Babe, this leash wouldn't hold a poodle, much less a leopard."

"I was going more for showy and symbolic," she admitted dryly. "I wouldn't use a leash like that if I had any doubts about the cat's behavior, right?"

"Now who's being sneaky?" he teased.

"Aren't you supposed to be changing into a cat?" she asked pointedly, and he laughed.

"I will when we get there."

A few minutes later they were turning into a small lot where the warehouse sat. Ranger picked up a remote from the console and opened one of the garage doors so Steph could just drive in.

"Park just inside," he said. "Tank will bring Dimitri to the other door."

As soon as she was inside the door came back down, and she parked and turned off the engine. Ranger got out and opened the back door. Steph looked back and wasn't too surprised to see the two back seats had been folded down, and an inch-think mat covered the floor. Ranger had pulled a pair of scrub pants from a small duffel bag and was quickly removing his clothes, stashing them in the bag as he went.

Steph came around to him as he was tying the drawstring around his waist. He was going without a shirt today, it seemed.

"Have you decided what to tell Dimitri about the cat's training?" he asked curiously.

"I'm going to tell him the cat is part of a classified project, but that he has near-human intelligence. That he can just talk to the cat and tell him what he wants him to do."

Ranger's eyebrow went up but he nodded thoughtfully. "That may be a little bit of a stretch, but not entirely impossible."

"Yes, and that also means I can't answer any questions about it," she added smugly.

"Sneaky," he grinned.

He picked up the leash and handed it to her, but then kept hold of her hand until she looked up. His eyes were gleaming. "The leash is temporary, Babe, so don't be getting ideas," he said but his eyes were dancing, almost in challenge. She grinned back and pulled it out of his hand.

"You just behave," she said. She dug one of the silver hair mascara tubes from her back pocket and held it up. "If you want to change into Manchado, I'll doctor up a few of his spots to show Dimitri."

"Okay."

Ranger shimmered and crouched forward, changing into the big snow leopard between one blink and the next. Shaking himself lightly, he looked up at Stephanie.

Steph looked around at the rest of the warehouse. There was a stack of empty heavy-duty shipping crates along one wall and a few blue plastic barrels in one corner. Other than a couple of battered folding chairs, that was it.

"Want to wait in the Cayenne?" she turned and asked him. "I'll be able to reach you better."

RangerCat hopped into the open door, turned around, and lay down with his front paws hanging out.

She picked up the belt. "I guess we should see if this will fit first."

He stretched his head forward slightly. Steph slipped it under his chin and buckled it behind his neck. The black looked nice against the black-spotted white fur, and even in the dim light of the warehouse the crystals sparkled.

"What do you think? Is it too tight?" she asked, standing back a bit.

RangerCat promptly pulled it over his head and then looked at her.

"Okay, I guess it's too loose. I could make new holes but I don't have any tools here."

The leopard looked towards the glove box. She checked and found a multi-tool, and used the awl blade to poke three new holes. The collar fit on the second hole. She finished threading the end of the belt through the loops and smoothed his fur down.

"Hmm, you _do_ look good in a collar…" she teased, and only laughed when he snarled at her. "Oh, hush, you know I'm only joking. Now, scoot over so I can color a few spots on your shoulder. I'll do another one to show Dimitri how it works later."

When Tank and Dimitri arrived some fifteen minutes later, Stephanie was waiting at the door with the leopard sitting at her feet.

Dimitri eyed Manchado warily, noting the lack of leash, but he followed Tank in without hesitation, pulling the door shut behind him.

"Hey, Manchado, how're you doin'?" Tank greeted the leopard. RangerCat played along, making a chuffing sound.

"Dimitri, this is Manchado. Manchado, this is Dimitri. He will be working with you today to see what you can do. Listen to him."

The leopard chuffed at him, too. Dimitri was looking him over with a critical eye, still careful to keep a slight distance.

"Can you walk him around so I can get a better look?" Dimitri asked. "I think he's bigger than Luccichio by several inches, but that probably isn't something anyone else will notice."

RangerCat looked up at Dimitri and then stood and walked to the middle of the warehouse and back. The short man was frowning at Stephanie.

"Did you give him some kind of sign?"

"No." Steph leveled her best serious look at Dimitri and took a deep breath. "I can't answer many of the questions I know you'll probably have. I can only tell you this – Manchado belongs to a classified project. You can just talk to him and tell him what you want him to do. He has near-human intelligence."

He didn't look convinced. Steph was pretty sure he wanted to ask how she could 'borrow' him if he was classified, but although his lips tightened, he didn't ask. Instead he turned to look at the leopard with accessing eyes.

"Lie down," he said. The leopard obeyed. Without taking his eyes from the leopard Dimitri asked, "Stephanie, Tank, would you please walk out into the warehouse in opposite directions?"

Tank nodded to Steph and they headed away from the cat and the short man. Steph walked toward the Cayenne but more into the center of the space. Tank walked almost to the blue plastic barrels in the corner.

"Manchado, please run around Stephanie and go to Tank."

The cat sprang into a dead run, his claws leaving marks on the dusty concrete floor. He ran around Stephanie, made a bee line for Tank, and stopped beside the big man's boots. Then he sat down and looked calmly at Dimitri.

Not yet impressed, Dimitri continued. "Go to the middle crate over there and see if you can get into it."

The cat padded over to the crates. There were five sitting on the floor and some stacked on top of them. He went to the third crate, whose side had been pried open but was hanging nearly closed. The leopard hooked a claw into the wooden 'door' and pulled it open, sliding his body through the opening and letting it swing shut behind him.

"Okay, I'm impressed," Dimitri admitted, his eyebrows raised enough to wrinkle his forehead. "You can come out now."

The leopard nosed his way out without letting the wood bang behind him.

Dimitri walked towards the middle of the warehouse, motioning for Tank and Stephanie to meet him. "Okay I can see that this cat does seem to understand quite well. And I see he has a few silvery spots. Is that something you did?"

Steph pulled the tube from her hip pocket. "Yes. This is kind of like mascara for hair. I colored a few of Manchado's spots earlier so you could see what it looks like. I can show you how it works if you want." Dimitri nodded.

"Manchado, come here and let's show Dimitri how we changed your spots." RangerCat came to her and sat down, his 'colored' shoulder towards Dimitri. He sat very upright and wrapped his tail around his feet like an Egyptian statue. Steph leaned over him slightly to point out the altered spots. "See, I put the silver 'mascara' on the black hairs of his spots," she said, opening the tube and demonstrating on an adjacent black spot. "It kind of sticks the hairs together a little bit, but once it's dry you can brush it slightly and it looks normal."

"He could be a close match to Luccicho's color then," he mused. "But what about his face markings? Even docile cats don't like to have their faces messed with."

Steph looked up at Dimitri, and then looked at RangerCat. "What do you think, Manchado. Will you let me put it on your face, too?"

The big cat tilted his face up and closed his eyes. He stayed very still as Steph began to stroke mascara on a spot near his eyes but he did kind of wrinkle his face up.

Steph laughed softly. "Don't squish up, I promise I'll be careful not to poke you in the eye."

The cat's face relaxed, but otherwise it didn't move. Steph finished coloring the spot and re-capped the tube. "Thank you. I know it feels weird but don't rub it. It will dry in a minute."

The leopard opened his eyes. He shook his head a little and the ear closest to the newly-colored spot twitched slightly but he didn't rub at it with a paw or rub against Stephanie.

Dimitri was chuckling. "I don't think he much likes make-up. I don't blame him – I don't either." He sobered and continued. "I can see he is very intelligent, and very cooperative. But at the party he will have to be kept leashed so as not to make anyone nervous. Will that be a problem?"

RangerCat made a noise in his throat and stalked off towards the Cayenne. Stephanie laughed. "Actually, we got the collar and leash just for the party. Manchado doesn't normally use them," she explained as the cat came back with the coiled leash. He sat up on his hind legs, front paws dangling, and let her take the leash and hook it to one of the D-rings on the collar. Then he dropped back to all four paws.

Stephanie offered the other end of the leash to Dimitri. He took it and looked down at the cat.

"Walk with me for a moment, please," he said. He walked in a large circle around Stephanie and Tank and the leopard paced beside him, the leash hanging slack between them.

When Dimitri brought the leash back to Stephanie she took it and looked at the cat. "Let's try for a slinky walk, okay? We're planning to make a grand entrance, after all."

RangerCat made another sound in his throat that Stephanie couldn't find a name for, but when she strolled across the concrete floor with the slow, sexy walk she used for distractions, the cat glided alongside her like liquid menace.

"Excellent, excellent!" Dimitri exclaimed with a smile. "I couldn't ask for better. Unless, of course, if he would roar a little…" As soon as he said it the leopard made a growling noise that grew into a full-throated cry. He continued to snarl as he and Stephanie walked back toward Tank and Dimitri.

Dimitri laughed. "Well, perhaps that would be a little over-the-top for the party. Can't have the fancy folk soiling themselves in front of the press, now can we."

Stephanie grinned at him. "Maybe just a few little snarls?"

"Maybe," he agreed.

RangerCat snarled, and Tank laughed.

-oOo-

_**TBC…**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer: Characters from the books are property of JE and are being used without permission. I think if Janet knew what I had them doing she'd shoot me. **_

_A/N: Nice long chapter for you today… but some of you (and you know who you are) need to stop lurking and leave me some reviews! Or else I may resort to making you __**wait**__ for the rest of the story…. {Insert evil laugh here!}_

-oOo-

_**Chapter 10**_

Tank was still chuckling a moment later when his cell rang.

"Talk," he said. There was a pause and then, "Yeah, he's right here. Transfer the call and I'll give him the phone." He looked at Dimitri. "The control room has a call for you, from someone at Arista Studios. You expecting a call?"

"Oh, yes, I completely forgot!" Dimitri shot both Tank and Stephanie a sheepish look. "The studio representative was arranging for a costume, and since I wasn't sure where I'd be staying, I gave them the number from Mr. Manoso's card. I intended to tell him first thing but I forgot."

Stephanie gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm sure he won't mind. At least this way you won't miss your call."

"One moment, please," Tank said into his phone and then passed it to Dimitri.

"Yes? This is Dimitri Kattetavios." He listened, then smiled. "Oh, good!" More listening. "I'm not sure. Hold a moment and let me ask." He looked between Tank and Stephanie again. "Can you tell me where the nearest airport is?"

"About half a mile behind this building," Tank said dryly. "Do they need a commercial airport, or are they flying private?"

Dimitri repeated the question into the phone and told Tank they were sending a small private jet.

Tank nodded. "Then tell them Trenton Mercer is closest. They can handle most any private plane."

"Trenton Mercer Airport, Trenton, New Jersey," Dimitri recited into the phone. "Okay, I'll be there. Thank you."

He disconnected the call and handed the phone back to Tank. "They are sending a set of costumes and they should arrive tomorrow around ten. I've been asked to meet the plane. Do you think I could have someone drive me to the airport and back in the morning?"

"No problem," Tank said.

RangerCat chose that moment to reach up, grasp the leash just below Stephanie's hand in his teeth, and gently tug it from her grip. Holding it high enough not to step on, he headed for the Cayenne.

Tank's laugh rumbled again. "Steph, I think Manchado's telling us he's done. I'll take Mr. Kattetavios back to Haywood. Our reservations at Rossini's are for eight."

Stephanie looked at her bare wrist, made a face and pulled out her cell to check the time. It was just after two. "That gives me plenty of time to return Manchado. Did you text Ranger? Or should I?"

"I sent him a message."

"Okay. Dimitri, please make yourself comfortable at the RangeMan building. Tank will show you how to get in touch with the control room and Ella, and if you need or want anything just let someone know. We'll meet you around seven-thirty to go to dinner."

"Thank you, Stephanie." He watched with a bemused smile as the snow leopard jumped into the open side door of the Cayenne. With a slight shake of his head he turned his attention back to the woman in front of him. "Right now a nap sounds very appealing."

"Later, Steph," Tank said, and led the way back out the door with Dimitri.

As soon as the door latched closed behind them RangerCat gave a long, low growl that made the hair on Steph's arms stand up.

"I'm coming," she called out softly as she headed for the SUV. "Sheesh, don't be so impatient!"

As soon as she reached the vehicle RangerCat turned so she could reach the buckle on the belt-collar. Stephanie grinned and gave him a quick hug before she unbuckled it and slipped it off with the leash still attached. As soon as it was off the cat shimmered and changed back into Ranger. His hair was loose and his eyes were dark.

"I don't know why you're in such a hurry," Steph continued, coiling up the leash and collar and tucking it back into the bag. "We have hours before we have to be anywhere."

Muscular arms reached out and she found herself tumbling through the door to land on her back on the mat with Ranger leaning over her.

"Yes, hours," Ranger agreed. "That's _exactly_ why – I don't want to rush."

By the time Steph managed to get a squeaky _**"Here?"**_ out, her shirt was gone and Ranger was tossing her bra away.

"D-don't you want to go somewhere more…private?" she gasped out as he nipped across her collar bone.

Ranger's low laugh tickled the skin of her throat and made her shiver. "This _is_ private. There's no one around. If we go back to Haywood and straight up to seven, would that feel more private to you?"

He had a point. If they went back to RangeMan they would be on camera until the apartment door closed behind them, and every man there would know _exactly_ why they were going upstairs in the middle of the afternoon.

There were no eyes here. The warehouse was locked, the mat was soft, and the interior of the Cayenne was roomy and dim. No one expected them anywhere until dinner… She ran her hands over Ranger's shoulders and down his back, pulling him closer as she let herself relax.

_Who are you kidding?_ teased a small, amused voice in the back of her mind as she yielded. _You'd make love with this man on stage in Madison Square Garden if he really wanted to._

She had to admit to the possibility. The heat of Ranger's desire was certainly enough to overcome her unease at the unfamiliar location and let him strip her clothes away in the back of the open SUV.

By the time he finished exploring her body and slipped inside her she didn't even remember where they were. All she knew was the feel of the man in her arms as he surged deep in a wild, abandoned rhythm, driving her higher and higher – until finally with a keening cry she shattered.

-oOo-

Drifting back to reality, she shivered as a draft cooled her heated skin where it wasn't covered by Ranger. He stirred, lifting himself off her but her arms kept him from going far. Stephanie felt him smile against her face as he resettled himself gently, shifting his weight so she could breathe but still keep their skin contact.

"Babe," he said softly, his voice husky and full of amusement. "You know what's going to happen if you keep me here."

Oh, she knew…and she was looking forward to it!

-oOo-

As she laid panting and recovering from her second trip around the moon, Stephanie gradually became aware that the mat beneath her felt a little slippery with sweat. And maybe other things... She made a face against Ranger's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked, pushing up onto his elbows.

"Nothing," she answered automatically, then corrected herself. "Well, it's just that I'm _really_ going to need a shower before dinner."

Ranger smiled. "We can handle that." He glanced at his watch. "We've got two hours before we're due to meet Dimitri and Tank. Should we invite anyone else to dinner?"

"We could invite Lula for Tank, and I think Connie and Dimitri might hit it off. And—did you say _two hours_? Ranger, we've got to get going!"

Ranger chuckled but maneuvered around to pop the back hatch and slide out onto his feet. He walked around to the open side door completely at ease with his nudity and reached for the bag that held his clothes.

Steph started to roll onto her side to push herself up and discovered that heated damp skin stuck to vinyl even in October. She hissed as what felt like a layer of skin got left behind.

"Shhhit," she hissed out loud.

"Steph? What's wrong?"

"Vinyl, Ranger. I'm stuck to the mat!"

Much to his credit, Ranger didn't even chuckle silently. Instead he provided leverage and helped Stephanie pull herself loose from the vinyl at her own speed, wincing with her when he saw how pink the skin was.

"I'm sorry, Babe," he apologized so sincerely that she startled him when she started snickering.

"I guess it's been too long since we made out on vinyl seats," she said a little breathlessly as she finally made it to her feet on the chilly warehouse floor, "or maybe one of us would have thought about a blanket."

Ranger's lips quirked. "I'll remember it next time," he promised, and Steph laughed again.

"You're forgiven. Now please tell me there's a working bathroom somewhere in this building!"

There was, of a sort. There was a toilet and sink in a small room near the front corner, and the water was turned on. But there was no hot-water heater and no paper products. Ranger brought her the cotton drawstring pants he'd changed in and she made do with those, doing the minimum necessary to get dressed. She dampened a section and patted her face to remove smudged mascara, wiped herself down as well as possible, and got dressed. By the time she was ready, Ranger had folded the mat and set the seats back up, and was waiting for her in the driver's seat.

The trip back to Haywood was quick but broken by the occasional snicker from Steph. Ranger's lips stayed tilted up at the corners and his hand reached over to capture hers. In the elevator on the way up to seven he made sure he stayed between Steph and the cameras, because there was little she could do to fix her hair without a shower.

As soon as they got into the apartment Steph made a bee-line for the shower. Ranger followed her as far as the bedroom.

"I'll call Tank to invite Lula, and I'll call Connie if that's okay?" he called after her as she went into the bathroom, leaving a trail of discarded clothes.

"Okay. I'll try to hurry."

Ranger made his calls and then joined her in the shower. He was just in time to wash her back.

An hour and a half later, Ranger was leaning in the bathroom doorway watching Steph take hot-rollers out of her hair. She'd done her makeup and gotten mostly dressed while the curls set, and now was standing in her emerald green Victoria's Secret satin and lace bra and panties and thigh-hi stockings unwinding her curls. Ranger was finding it strangely erotic and as a consequence was keeping his hands in his pants pockets.

When all the curlers were removed she ran her fingers though the curls then pulled it back on one side, securing it with a rhinestone comb. And that was it. She headed to the bedroom and the dress she'd laid out on the bed.

Ranger followed, still fascinated. Her dress was emerald green brocade with small gold dragons on it, made in a vaguely Chinese style. She stepped into it and wiggled it up her hips, then slipped her arms into the little cap sleeves, pulling it straight. The zipper was under one arm and she had to twist to reach it, then she finished with the diagonal row of frog fasteners across the top of the bodice to the mandarin collar.

As she finished Ranger stepped closer and gently lifted her hair to free a few strands trapped in the collar, then pressed a kiss on her bare neck before letting the heavy mass of curls fall back against the silky fabric. His hands found their way to her hips, steadying her as she stepped into her gold heels.

"You look divine."

Steph's head came up and she met his eyes in the chervil mirror in front of her. She smiled. "You look pretty damn fine yourself."

His lips quirked up. "I think Ella is having a little too much fun shopping for us, Babe." He smoothed his tie down. At first glance his tie, like his suit and silk shirt, was solid black. But if you looked close there was a black-on-black design of a dragon writhing down its length. And the small tie pin was the same gold dragon as Stephanie's larger green and gold dangle earrings.

She turned and put her arms around his neck, stepping into his embrace and giving him a light kiss. "You know why women like it when their man's clothes go with their outfit, don't you?"

"It's not a Barbie-and-Ken thing, is it?" he asked warily with the hint of a smile. She laughed.

"Well, maybe that's part of it. But it's also a subtle way to make sure any other woman who looks at you knows you're with _me_."

"So I'm marked as yours?" he asked with a silent chuckle.

"Hey, it's only fair. You marked me," she pointed out, tilting her head to one side. Just above the edge of the mandarin collar, the edge of his teeth marks showed against the white skin of her neck.

He winced slightly. "I'm sorry, Babe, I didn't mean to bite. Maybe I should wait longer after I change back – I think the cat instincts are still strong just after…"

She interrupted him with a smile. "Hey, I wasn't complaining."

He gave her another kiss and reluctantly let her go. "We should probably get going. We can pick up Dimitri on the way downstairs, and Tank will meet us at Rossini's with Lula and Connie."

Dinner went well. Dimitri was very taken with Lula and Connie and conversation never dragged. Lula, being Lula, was dressed in black spandex with silver beading around the neck and scattered down the short skirt. She looked good in her usual style. She was also very outspoken about her former profession and Stephanie's part in getting her life turned around after having saved it. Connie also contributed stories of Stephanie's adventures in bounty-hunting, especially her very first skip.

Dimitri reciprocated, telling some amusing stories about his life as an animal trainer, and a couple that were close calls that left him with his scars.

Tank and Ranger even made a little small talk, although as if by prior agreement their stories usually were about odd predicaments a friend from the army got into or strange clients in the early days of RangeMan. Perhaps it was self-protective instinct, but Stephanie wondered if it was mostly because so many of their own stories were still classified.

When they left the restaurant Tank took Lula home, and Ranger, Stephanie, and Dimitri took Connie home. Dimitri took it upon himself to see Connie to the door.

"You were right," Ranger commented as they waited in the Mercedes for Dimitri to come back to the car. "They did seem to enjoy each other's company. I have to admit I was a little surprised."

Steph smiled but didn't say a word when Dimitri returned – a spring in his step, a trace of lipstick on his mouth, and the corner of a piece of lavender paper sticking up out of his suit pocket.

-oOo-

Stephanie slept in a little Wednesday morning, not getting up until nearly nine. She skipped her usual trip to the bonds office and just called to check in instead, then went downstairs to the control room. She needed busy-work today to keep her mind occupied. There were less than two full days left before the Halloween party at the Resort. So she said hi to the guys, checked in with Ranger, got a new stack of search requests from Lester's pile, and settled at her cubicle to work.

The phone on her desk rang at ten-thirty.

"Babe, Dimitri and a woman with a wardrobe trunk are on the way in from the airport with Santos. The studio sent a dresser with the costumes and put her in charge of getting you fitted, dressing you for the event, and guarding the costumes until they're safely back on the studio lot. I guess she had a fit when airport security wanted to search the trunk. Santos will escort them up. Where do you want to do this?"

She only had to think for a second. She didn't want a stranger on seven. "Is anything on four empty?"

"Use number five."

Steph hung up the phone, shut down her computer, and took off for the stairs. Ella was just unlocking the door of number five as she stepped into the hall. Like the slightly-larger apartment number four, five was the size of a good hotel room and kept mainly for short-term use.

"Ella," Steph began hesitantly. "The studio sent a dresser with the costumes, and she's supposed to do the fitting. Would you stay with me? I may need some moral support."

"Of course, dear," she said with a smile. "I'd love to."

Steph gave a little sigh of relief. She had no idea what to expect and wasn't looking forward to being 'dressed' by a stranger.

The elevator dinged and opened, and Lester ushered Dimitri and the skinniest woman she'd ever seen into the hallway. Dimitri's face was blank and maybe a little tired. Lester had his blank-face on but Steph could tell by his eyes that he wasn't very happy.

A moment later it was clear why. Ella had reached a hand out to help with the trunk and the woman almost bit her head off.

"Keep your bloody hands off!" she snapped, her British accent thick and her voice shrill. "This case and contents belong to the studio, and I am charged with its safe return. Touch it and I'll box your ears!"

Dimitri stepped smoothly into the shocked silence. "Stephanie, I'd like to introduce Cressida Marlowe. She's brought the costumes for the publicity appearance in Atlantic City. Cressida, this is Stephanie Plum, one of my handlers."

"Charmed, I'm sure," she said dryly. "I'm fair knackered. Can we stop faffing and do this?"

Steph stared at her for a moment, eyes narrowing. Ella rescued the oblivious woman, gesturing for her to enter the apartment. "I'm Ella, Ms. Plum's assistant. Come right this way, we can use this room for the fitting."

Once the woman was through the door, Dimitri cleared his throat. "I'm sorry about this, Stephanie. She and the costumes are a package deal – I called the studio to confirm it."

Steph calmed herself with effort. Wonderful. So they were stuck with Miss Marlowe until Halloween. Where was Ranger going to house her? It was a pretty safe bet he wouldn't be giving her free run of the building. "It's okay. I can handle it. Les, maybe you could take Dimitri for a drink or something – I bet he could use one. I'll call you when we're done."

Lester nodded. "If she gives you trouble, Beautiful, just shoot her," and he led Dimitri back to the elevator.

Steph's lips kicked up in a grin briefly. Then she took a deep breath and entered the apartment, closing the door firmly behind her.

Apartment five was similar to what hotels liked to call 'mini-suites' – a fair-sized room, decent bathroom, a small closet, comfortable bed, small dresser with a TV and DVD player, small table and two chairs, mini-fridge, and a decent amount of floor space. It was nicely appointed, beautifully kept, and vaguely masculine. The woman had opened the trunk and was busy laying out all kinds of bits and pieces on the bed. Ella was standing by quietly watching.

Cressida looked up and saw Steph standing there. "Well, let's not fanny around. Togs off."

Steph looked and Ella, who shrugged ever so slightly. Steph sighed and took a step toward the bathroom.

"Don't be daft. I'm going to see it anyway."

Steph rolled her eyes, pulled her gun from the back of her waist and handed it to Ella, who tucked it behind her own back. Cressida's eyebrows went up slightly.

Steph untied her boots and kicked them off, then pulled off her cargo pants. She dropped them on an unoccupied corner of the bed and tugged her shirt over her head, tossing it with the pants. Then she turned to the woman.

She rolled her eyes. "Full monty -- brassiere and knickers, too. I need to see what I've got to work with.

Steph gave her a look that promised a slow death, and behind her she heard Ella smothering a fake cough. Glowering, she tossed her black lace Victoria's Secret set onto the pile and stood there defiantly naked.

Cressida made a tutting sound, motioning for Steph to turn for her. "Five foot seven inches? Eight and half stone? We'll have to use one of the stunt-woman's costumes then. Not too naff. You'll have to lose the pubic hair, duck. Do you still shave your pits?"

"Yes," Stephanie said, trying not to grit her teeth.

"How quaint. Maybe there's a laser clinic nearby? We'll just bodge it for now." She picked up what looked like a nude-colored footie. "Here, put this on."

_This_ turned out to be a miniscule thong made of pantyhose-type knit. It might have barely covered the essentials but even the little pubic hair Steph had peeked out. Cressida gave a long-suffering sigh.

"Okay, we can take care of that later. At least you've got knockers and your bum's not squidgy." She waved her hand over a mound of fabric cylinders in different shades of nude and selected the palest. "Yes, this is close."

She stepped up to Steph and before Steph could move she'd wrapped a corset-like garment around her midriff, grabbing her breasts one after the other to fit the shelf-cups tightly beneath them, then stepping behind her and yanking it tight with Velcro straps that had no stretch at all. It cinched her tightly from her breasts down to her hips on the sides, and nearly to her pubic bone in front. The back stopped just below her waist. It was the exact same pale cream color as Steph's skin.

Steph threw out one hand for balance and Ella grabbed it, steadying her. "Jezzus!" she gasped shallowly. "I can barely breathe! Does it need to be this tight?"

Cressida looked down her nose at her. "Too right it needs to be tight, it's a shaper. You don't think that was Kate Beckinsale's _**real**_ body in Underworld, do you?"

Stephanie let go of Ella, regaining her balance. If she breathed shallowly she could almost catch her breath.

The next piece was what looked like leggings made from shiny black leather. When Cressida gave them to Steph, though, they were far too thin to be real leather.

"Put them on like tights," the Brit instructed when Stephanie hesitated.

Ella brought a straight-back chair over from the table. Stephanie could barely bend so it took a little time and by the time they were on, she was panting.

Cressida had been spraying something like hairspray on two small triangles of nude-colored leather-look stuff. Before Steph could dodge she slapped them onto her breasts. They covered her nipples but less skin than a string bikini. Whatever the dresser had sprayed on them was sticky.

"Hey!" Steph protested. "Did you just glue something to me?"

"Don't be such a nancy," was her only answer. Cressida was busy pulling something that looked like piles of silver chain out of another compartment in the trunk.

It was chain-mail, and not a lot of it. A thin leather band was fastened just below her breasts, and rather open chain-mail triangles cupped her breasts. Single chains went up over the shoulders and dangled down her back, cold and loose. Loops of loose chain dangled and draped here and there. A few strands of chain dripped from the bottom of the bodice like metal fringe.

"Um, this isn't going to stay…" Steph started.

"Blimey! I'm not done yet, am I?" the dresser snapped. She pulled another chunk of mail out, this one attached to a wider band of leather studded with rhinestones. It turned out to be something between a skirt and a loincloth – open to the show the leather leggings on the sides all the way up to the belt, and the 'skirt' flaps front and back had jaggedly uneven edges. The bodice chains dangling over her shoulders were crossed in the middle of her back and attached to the back of the belt.

Cressida stepped back and made the 'turn' motion again. Steph turned slowly. The chain-mail was surprisingly heavy, and now that she looked at it she noticed it had rhinestones scattered through the links, too. Even though she felt trussed up like a stuffed turkey, the costume looked like it would fall off if she sneezed. The corset-thing barely showed from this close. From a slight distance it would look like bare skin, and a lot of it.

Steph had to fight to keep her mouth from falling open. It was amazing. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Ella covering a small smile with her fingertips.

"Shoes?" Ella prompted softly. She knew all about Steph's shoe fetish.

Another compartment yielded black leather boots with the legs made of the same stretchy fake leather as the tights. They had four-inch stiletto heals and multiple dangling silver and rhinestone chains.

"What size do you wear?"

"Seven."

The dresser checked the sizes and pulled out a pair. "These may be a little big."

It was hard for Steph to bend, so Cressida knelt and helped her put them on, zipping them and smoothing them up her calves.

"Oh, and mustn't forget the tail," she said.

It was a whip. It had a one-handed grip, a flexible three-foot length of round-braided black and silver leather with nine thin strips dangling at the end. It attached to a small clip on the back of the belt. A spring-loaded spool was hidden in the belt, because Cressida pulled it around and had Steph grab hold of the grip. Steph gave it an experimental flick and jumped at the _**crackle**_ it made.

There was a headband/mask with large cat's-eye cutout eyeholes and cat ears, and a black leather and rhinestone 'collar' complete with a small silver and rhinestone 'tag'.

Just as Cressida stepped back to survey the finished product there was a tap on the door. Ella opened it, and Ranger stepped in followed closely by Lester and Dimitri.

Ranger's eyes slipped over Stephanie from the top of her cat-ears to the toe of her boots, and his eyes darkened to black fire.

"Holy hard-on, Batman," Lester breathed, breaking the sudden silence. Steph flushed pink all the way down to her chest. Ranger's lips quirked and Ella, Dimitri, and even Cressida laughed. Lester clamped his lips together and looked mildly chagrined.

At a tiny head-nod from Ranger Steph turned in a slow circle, letting him see the whole effect.

"What do you think, Dimitri, Santos?"

"I think the cat will just be another accessory," Dimitri said, smiling at Stephanie. "Your Stephanie will cause quite a stir all by herself."

"Yeah, what he said," Lester agreed.

Ranger smiled.

-oOo-

_**TBC…**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer: see previous chapters.**_

_A/N: I'm still working on it! Cressida wasn't ready to go away yet…that woman's a menace._

-oOo-

_**Chapter 11**_

It seemed to Stephanie that the temperature in the small room seemed to go up several degrees with all the people in it – or it could have been the way Ranger was looking at her.

"Could everyone please excuse us for a moment?" Ranger requested softly without looking away. The room cleared quickly, with Ella firmly guiding the protesting Miss Marlowe out the door. Lester pulled it shut.

Stephanie was finding it difficult to breathe again.

Ranger stepped closer, still smiling, and reached out to run a finger along the skin just above the collar. "So Catwoman really does wear a collar. How did you know?"

"Doesn't she always?"

He shook his head. "I ran a search on Catwoman costumes this morning. No Catwoman in any of the comic books or previous movies has ever worn a collar."

"Oh," was all she could manage. "Lucky guess?"

Ranger's finger traced along the deep cleavage of the chain-mail top and trailed downwards, pausing when he passed the leather band and hit the fabric of the corset-like cincher. Then a faint line appeared between his eyebrows as he frowned. "What is this?"

"She called it a 'cincher'. It feels like a corset. And I think it's too tight," she got out in short bursts. She was starting to get light-headed again. Between Ranger's nearness and having her intestines squeezed up into her chest cavity she wasn't getting enough oxygen.

"You don't need a corset, Babe."

"_You_ tell the costume warden that," she said. "In the meantime, can I get this back off?"

Ranger went to the door and let everyone back in. He thanked Dimitri again and had Lester sign out a RangeMan vehicle for his use until after the weekend. Once they left Ranger focused his attention on the costumer.

"The costume is beautiful, but I'm afraid that some minor adjustments need to be made." Cressida tried to interrupt but he shut her up with a look. "Stephanie will be handling a leopard that considerably outweighs her. She needs to be able to move, and more importantly, breathe. Can we try the costume without the corset?"

"Have you gone barmy? It's the foundation of the costume, without the cincher the rest will be wonky."

Ranger's eyes narrowed slightly. "What kind of publicity will the studio get if Steph passes out at the party because the costume won't let her breathe?"

Miss Marlowe's lips were pressed together so tightly that they disappeared, but when her attempt to stare Ranger down failed miserably she gave in with ill grace. "No need to get narked," she muttered. "We'll give it a go, but don't blame me if it goes pear-shaped."

Stephanie wasn't entirely sure she'd followed the entire conversation but it seemed like Ranger had won the argument. "Do I have to take it all off and start over?"

"No, we can suss out a way…" Cressida was eyeing the costume speculatively, then nodded and turned to Ella. "If you could lend a hand, I think we can manage this."

Ella moved forward and Ranger stepped back out of their way. Cressida unhooked the chains holding the chain-mail top to the skirt band and crossed them behind Stephanie's neck. Then she had Ella unhook the leather bra band and hang onto it. Cressida pulled the Velcro straps loose in the back and then went around in front of Stephanie, wiggling the top of the cincher out from under the chain-mail top then pulling it out of the waistband. Ella re-hooked the leather strap and the long chains and Stephanie immediately took a deep, relieved breath.

The costumer fussed a little, straightening the waistband and giving the bra band a tug. She would never admit it, but the costume actually fit Stephanie better without the extra bulk of the boned body shaper. The waistband fit nearly half an inch lower, showing Stephanie's belly button.

Finally she took a step back, closer to Ranger. "So you weren't completely potty. She's a fit cracker, that one," she admitted grudgingly.

Ranger smiled at his Babe. "That she is."

Stephanie gave Ranger a brief frown, not entirely sure being a 'fit cracker' was a good thing, then she turned to the mirror. Now that she could breathe, she was more interested making sure the costume would stay on.

She twisted around to look at her back in the mirror first. Other than some faint red marks left by the corset, she looked okay from the back. The chain-mail skirt-flap covered enough of her butt that she wouldn't be too self-conscious about it. The front looked about the same except now her belly-button showed. She sucked her stomach in tight to make sure the waistband wouldn't slip too much farther south, and it didn't. She was glad to see her tummy didn't bulge over the band when she let it out, either.

Next she tried bending and sitting. Sitting wasn't very comfortable if she didn't flip the chain-mail out of the way first – it felt kind of like sitting on gravel. Then she walked back and forth, getting the feel of the boots and the height of the heels.

"My feet slide around a little in these boots," she told Cressida. "Do you have a smaller size?"

"Unfortunately, no. Those are a UK size six, which is roughly a seven and a half in American shoes. That's what the actress wears. The stuntwoman wears an American size nine."

"We could put insoles in them," Ella suggested. "They'll take up the extra space and give your feet a little more cushion, since you'll be walking on marble floors all evening."

Stephanie shot Ella a grateful look. "That would definitely help."

"That is a good idea," Cressida admitted.

"I'll get some this afternoon," Ella said with a quick nod.

Ranger checked his watch and stepped forward again. "I'll leave you to finish up. Thank you, Miss Marlowe, for bringing the costumes and doing the fitting. A hotel suite has been arranged for your stay, and one of my men will drive you there when you're finished. You may leave the trunk here if you wish – locked, of course. It will not be disturbed." Ranger gave her a smile and Miss Marlowe didn't answer; she looked a little dazed.

"Babe, I'll be upstairs," he said. He gave Ella a nod and left.

Ella shared an amused look with Steph. "Don't get any ideas," Ella told the woman. "Mr. Manoso is taken."

"All the good ones usually are," Cressida sighed. She turned and began to help Stephanie take off the costume.

It didn't take long. Ella helped Stephanie take the pieces off, and Cressida put them away, making sure to keep the set that fitted together. As Stephanie was pulling her cargo pants back on she remembered something.

"Miss Marlowe, I need to carry a small bag. Do you have anything?"

"Why do you need a bag? Surely you're not worried about carrying identification to this party."

"No. Although, come to think of it, it would be nice to have a place to keep a lipstick. I need to carry a small dart gun. Unfortunately it's required in case of emergency when working a large animal at a public event."

"There's nothing like that with the costumes. There was no call for any sort of bag in the script."

"I have a plain black leather clutch that I think is pretty close to the leather-look of the leggings. Do you think that would work okay?"

Cressida paused in closing the trunk. "Plain leather wouldn't detract from the costume, so I don't see why not. I'll need to see it, and then I'll try to clear it through the studio this afternoon."

As she locked the trunk, Stephanie sat down to tie her boots and Ella called for a Merry Man to come drive Miss Marlowe to the hotel. A few minutes later there was a knock and Ella opened the door to Tank.

Cressida took one look at him and her mouth fell open. "Well aren't you a stonking great fellow," she murmured.

Stephanie chuckled. "Tank is our resident Big Guy. Behave yourself with him, though. His girlfriend carries a Colt .45."

"Speaking of which, don't forget this," Ella said, handing Steph's gun back to her.

"Cor! What is it with Yanks and guns!"

Tank gave the skinny woman a small blank-faced shrug. "Part of the job."

Once she had the trunk secured to her satisfaction, Tank left to drive her to the hotel. Stephanie was glad to see the woman leave even if she _had_ been the one to bring the kick-ass costume.

"Thank you for your help," she said, turning to Ella. "I really appreciate you staying with me."

Ella grinned. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't have missed it for anything!" she chuckled. "I just wish we had Lester's gaffe on camera."

Stephanie grinned. "Yeah, that was pretty funny. And they make fun of the things _I_ say."

"You probably ought to head upstairs," Ella prompted gently.

Steph's stomach growled and she glanced around for a clock.

"I put some things for lunch in the fridge earlier. It'll be ready whenever you are."

Stephanie headed to the elevator. She appreciated Ella's thoughtfulness, but she had a feeling food wasn't going to be first on Ranger's agenda. She recalled the look in his eyes before he left and had to stifle a smile at the little shiver of anticipation that ran though her. The man had her willing to skip lunch to be in his arms. It had to be magic.

-oOo-

_**TBC…**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Disclaimer: Characters you don't recognize from the books (including RangerCat!) and what passes for a plot are mine. The cool folks belong to JE.**_

_A/N: You all have my sincere apology for the *extremely* long wait for anything new. I have been in a blue funk anyway, then I read FLF in HOPES that JE would give us some good Ranger stuff…and all it did was make it worse. It took me a long time to feel like writing again. I'm hoping once I get back 'into' it that it will come easier. Thank you all for being so patient with me and for all the nice little messages I've gotten!_

**-oOo-**

_**Chapter 12**_

She opened the door quietly, not entirely sure what to expect; not that she ever knew with Ranger. He wasn't in immediate view, though, so she stepped into the entry and softly closed the door.

The apartment was silent. Maybe when Ranger said 'upstairs' he meant the fifth floor? No matter, he'd probably be up soon for lunch anyway. She really ought to find that leather clutch so Miss Marlowe could get it approved.

Starting for the bedroom with that thought on her mind she nearly missed the dark shape lunging out from beneath the dining room table. Ranger, in black leopard form! With a startled shriek of laughter, Steph dodged his first grab and ran for the bedroom.

She might have made it, but she made the mistake of turning her head to see where he was. She stumbled, the big black cat leaped, and Stephanie found herself pinned on the bed by a very naked Ranger.

"What are you doing, you crazy man?" she asked through breathless laughter. "You could have given me a heart attack!"

Ranger grinned down into her sparkling eyes. "Oh, I think your heart can handle it."

She wiggled and twisted a little, testing his grip and teasing him. "So, did seeing the costume get the kitty all frisky?"

He feathered kisses over her face. "No, it was the woman _inside_ the costume that's got me stirred up. Want to help me recharge?"

Steph's hand slipped between them and wrapped around him. A sly smile tilted her lips. "Oh, I think you've got a full charge here already."

Ranger laughed and pushed his hands under her shirt. "Not for long."

-oOo-

Lunch, when they got around to it, was Cobb salads. They were arranged artistically on plates and they were almost too pretty to eat. But Stephanie was starving.

So they ate perched on stools at the kitchen bar. Neither one of them had bothered to get completely dressed. Ranger had pulled on his cargos, and Steph had commandeered his shirt. Her hair was a mess and he had to grin.

"What are you smiling about," she asked when she caught him.

"Nothing, Babe." He smiled wider. "I love you."

The suspicious look faded from her face and she smiled back. "I love you, too."

"What would you like to do this afternoon?" he asked.

She sighed slightly. "I still have an FTA file I ought to work on. I already ran a search, so I've got some places to check out. Why? Is there something you'd like to do? _Besides_ that," she added when his grin grew wicked.

"No, not really," he said with a chuckle. "I don't have anything going on this afternoon, and paperwork is all caught up. Want me to ride along with you? It's been a while since we worked together out in the field."

"Sounds good to me."

Ranger's phone rang while they were getting dressed to go. After a brief and mostly one-sided conversation he disconnected and gave Steph a look. "Let's go by the gun range downstairs before we leave. Santos has the dart gun ready, and I'd like for you to fire a few rounds with it."

"Me?" she asked in surprise. "Why do I need to shoot it? You're the one who'll be using it."

"There's a very small chance whoever is handling security will ask you to demonstrate the gun to him – it proves you're familiar with the gun and lets them get a good look at it. I want you to feel comfortable with it if that happens."

"Okay. You're the boss," she said as she headed for the door.

Ranger swatted her on the butt as she walked in front of him. "Like I believe you really think that," he teased.

Lester was waiting in the gun range. On the table in front of him were three small guns similar to her old revolver but slightly smaller. In a tray next to them were the dart rounds. They looked odd, like hollow bullets with clear capsules in the centers, with short, sharp needles at the tip. There were three different colors of liquid in the centers.

"The clear ones are the drug Bobby came up with. The target has a medical history of high blood pressure and hypoglycemia, and has passed out numerous times because of it. This is a slow-acting knockout drug – he'll get dizzy and pass out much as he would if his blood sugar was too low. It will wear off in thirty minutes, which gives them enough time to get their crew in to get him out," Lester explained.

"What are the blue and green ones?" Steph asked.

"The blue ones are tranquilizers used for large animals, exactly as they're supposed to be. That's what will be loaded in the gun when you carry it in. The green ones are just saline, for practice shooting. The green lets you see where the dart hits, because the darts themselves are designed to deliver the dose and bounce away, and they don't leave much of a trace."

Lester turned and pointed down one of the shooting lanes. "I've got some sponge-board targets set up so you can practice."

Ranger had been handling the guns and apparently favored one of them, because he loaded that one and handed it to Stephanie.

"Ladies first," he said.

Stephanie made a face but took the gun and walked over to the lane. She put on the shooter's glasses and ear protectors, turned to make sure the guys had them on, too, then aimed and took a shot. The gun didn't have much kick and the trigger pulled smooth, but her aim was slightly off – she barely hit the target. She adjusted and shot off three more rounds, each of which hit within the second ring around the bulls-eye. Not bad for the distance. Of course, she knew Ranger could do better.

She opened the cylinder and took out the spent rounds, reloading with the new green shells Ranger handed her. When she was finished she laid it on the ledge and stepped back so Ranger could take his turn.

Ranger fired all six rounds, and all of the green dots appeared within the bulls-eye of the target.

"Good job, Santos. I'll want to practice with it more in the morning, though. I'll only get one shot. You got a silencer for it?"

"Of course."

Ranger gave him a nod and then he and Stephanie headed for the garage. It was time to check out Steph's skip.

Once they were in the Cayenne and out of the garage, Ranger looked over at Stephanie. "Where are we headed?"

She was consulting the open file in her hands. "Jack Payne, lives on Ward Avenue off Hamilton over by the Greenwood Cemetery."

"Please tell me he's not in Diggery's line of work." Ranger said it with a straight face but there was a suspicious crinkle at the corner of his eye.

"Very funny. No, he's not a grave robber – or at least that isn't in his record. Jack was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and trying to stage a dogfight in his back yard, much to his neighbors' disgust. Since he didn't have a dog he tried to borrow theirs." She made a sound that was part sigh and part laugh. "You know, since I've been in this line of work I've started really worrying about Trenton's gene pool."

That got her the whole smile.

Jack Payne didn't take long. Not only because Ranger was with her, but because Steph had finally learned the fine art of stunning runners _before_ they bolted. At least she didn't have to get him into the car by herself.

When they returned to the building, the elevator stopped on seven to reveal Ella with a padded envelope, about to knock on the apartment door.

"Oh, I've caught you. Stephanie, Miss Marlowe came by to pick up your clutch and left this for you."

Steph accepted the package warily while Ranger unlocked the door and ushered them inside. "Did you find the bag? I was going to get it out and bring it down before we left."

Ella smiled. "No problem. It was in the first spot I looked."

"Did she say what this is?" Steph asked as she turned the envelope over in her hands, trying not to think about the rumpled bed they'd left. Not that Ella would ever say anything. But Ella just shook her head.

Steph pried open the gummed flap and looked inside. There was a plastic CD case and a folded piece of paper. She pulled both items out. The CD and the case were both unmarked. The paper was a short note.

Reading it quickly, she summarized it for Ranger and Ella. "It's a couple of short clips from the filming – scenes that set up Catwoman's character. The studio sent it along in case it would help us - help me - mimic her a little." Her lips tilted up slightly. "There's even a very politely worded reminder that the CD is the property of the studio and must be returned with the costumes via Miss Marlowe."

"As if that one would let you forget," murmured Ella.

"Should we watch it now?" Steph asked, her glance extending the question to both Ranger and Ella.

"I've got something baking," Ella demurred. "I need to get back downstairs," she excused herself and left.

"Let's keep it for after dinner," Ranger suggested. "That way, if you feel like 'practicing' we will have all evening."

"Okay. It's still pretty early; I thought it would take longer to track down my skip. Is there anything else we need to check on? Am I missing anything? I keep feeling like I'm forgetting something."

And her cell phone rang.

**-oOo-**

_TBC…_


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: I know this is a short chapter, but short is better than a long wait, right?**_

_See disclaimer from previous chapters…_

**-oOo-**

**Chapter 13**

Steph looked at the caller ID and flipped the phone open with a small flinch.

"When are you going to come over and help us finish decorating?" Grandma Mazur's voice came though loud enough that Ranger could hear. "Halloween is Saturday, Steph."

"I know, Grandma," Stephanie said. Behind her Ranger opened the apartment door and guided her inside.

"Please don't say you're planning to wait until Friday night when you come to dinner. You know I hate to wait until the last minute."

Steph winced. "Actually, Grandma, I'm not going to be able to make it to dinner Friday night. Something has come up and I'm going to be working." Before Grandma could draw breath to squawk Steph hurried on, "I'll be there Saturday evening to help you pass out candy, though, just like always. Have you decided what costume you're going to wear yet?"

As she listened to Grandma Mazur's voice Steph turned pleading eyes to Ranger. He looked at his watch and gave in with a faint quirk of his lips.

"This evening," he whispered, "I'll come and help, and we can even stay for dinner if you want. But you'll owe me."

Making a face at him to hide her relief, Steph waited for an opening to break into Grandma's costume debate to offer to come over within the hour. She hung up a few minutes later and dropped onto a barstool at the kitchen bar. "I need a drink. I can't believe I almost forgot about handing out candy with Grandma!"

Ranger pulled two beers from the fridge and opened them, sliding one across the bar to Steph. "You didn't tell her I was coming with you."

"No. You don't have to, you know. I thought I'd leave you an out."

"Will a ladder be involved?"

"Maybe. Grandma decorates differently every year – she says it's so that the kids won't get bored with it but really it's because she has too much fun."

"I'll handle any required climbing. I don't want you in any position to fall and break something, especially not before Friday."

Stephanie took a swallow of her beer and frowned. "Well, you probably shouldn't be on a ladder then, either. What if you fall? I'm pretty sure a cast would be a problem when you change into Manchado for the party."

She wasn't sure he'd agree – Ranger liked to have things his way – but after a moment he gave a reluctant nod. "You're right. It's nearly five now; do you want to go over early, or go for dinner and decorate after?"

"We could go early and see if Grandma has a plan yet, that way we can get right to work after dinner…and maybe get finished a little earlier. I want to change into some old jeans before we go, though."

"Go change," Ranger agreed, pulling out his phone. "I'm going to make a quick call then I'll change, too. You might call and let your mom know we're invading."

Stephanie grinned and headed for the bedroom.

Since she'd moved in with Ranger, Mrs. Plum had made an effort to accept her daughter's choices. She was always polite and occasionally even warm toward Ranger. Ranger tolerated her occasional lapses with good grace and sometimes even a trace of humor. He and Frank got along just fine and that was enough for him. And, of course, Grandma Mazur had _always_ been on his side!

Ranger made two calls; one to Ella to let her know they'd be out for dinner, and one to ask for volunteers to help with Halloween decorations. Mrs. Mazur was a unique individual, a trait she'd passed on to her granddaughter, and as such she held a strange attraction for his men. Although any of them would swear they'd rather shoot themselves in the foot than spend time with the crazy old lady, if the opportunity presented itself where they could be in her general vicinity but not be _responsible_ for her, usually more than one would show up.

They didn't let him down. By the time he'd changed clothes and they headed for the garage, he'd gotten three text messages. Hector, Woody, and Hal would show up around seven.

-oOo-

Grandma Mazur met them at the door with a big grin for Ranger.

"Thank you for coming to help. I got these really cool Halloween lights, and I was afraid we wouldn't be able to get them hung up right."

"My pleasure, Grandma," Ranger smiled.

There were boxes of Halloween decorations all over the living room. Grandma had been sketching plans on notebook paper and they were scattered across the dining room table. She showed her design ideas to Steph and Ranger until Ellen started clearing her throat, then she stacked her papers neatly on the coffee table and helped Stephanie set the table.

Dinner was good, and Ellen was less formal than usual which made the conversation easy. Desert was consumed and praised – even Ranger had some of the cake – and then everyone helped with cleanup.

The guys had great timing. Grandma had chosen a plan and Ranger had just carried out the first box of decorations when they showed up in a RangeMan SUV. Hector was the first one to the porch, greeting Grandma Mazur with a big smile and a complicated handshake. Stephanie found it amusing that they liked each other so much when they didn't speak the same language. It _**was**_ a pretty strange sight to see a young Hispanic man with gang tattoos laughing with a skinny old white woman!

As soon as Grandma had greeted Hal and Woody, she dragged out the new lights she'd bought and the sketch of how she wanted to decorate.

Two of the new strings of lights were alternating shapes and colors, including jack-o-lanterns, black cats (lighted from inside with purple lights), little witches with green faces, and red and black spiders. She also had one string of purple bats. When Hector saw those his face lit up and he brought two matching strings from the SUV.

Stephanie couldn't keep track of all the activity after that. She was kept busy digging through the boxes to find the decorations Grandma wanted as the others put them up. Hal and Woody ended up on stepstools hanging the mixed lights along the eves of the porch. Ranger ran wires to various locations while Grandma and Hector wove the bat lights through the trellis next to the porch steps.

They finished around eight-thirty, and everyone came out to the sidewalk to check it out. Even Ellen came out.

The sidewalk to the porch steps was outlined with low-voltage glittery green rope lights. In the middle of the front yard, three half-life-sized witches huddled over a metal cauldron that would be filled with dry ice for Halloween night. Spotlights hidden in the trees lighted the witches, and ghosts and skeletons hanging from the branches.

There was a small coffin propped against the porch with the lid askew. Inside there was a small mummy with glowing eyes. A motion-sensor was hidden on the steps to turn on the bat lights, making it seem as if the bats suddenly flew up when disturbed.

Plastic jack-o-lanterns lined the porch railing, and in the corner near the door they'd set up a chair with the body and six legs of a giant black widow spider. Grandma was planning to wear black and sit in the chair with a bowl of candy so that the braver children could get their candy from the 'big spider woman'. She wanted Stephanie to dress up like a butterfly.

"I still have the butterfly costume you used a few years ago," Grandma said. "You can wear it again."

"Maybe," Stephanie hedged. If she remembered correctly, she'd been about sixteen the last time she'd worn it, and a couple of sizes smaller at least one area. "I don't know if it will fit."

"If it doesn't we'll find something," Ranger said.

Ellen brought out cider for everyone as they admired their work. A few kids were spotted checking out the decorations from the shadows of the sidewalk and hedge. Hal, who was still wearing his RangeMan black, sat down in the chair to complete the spider and pretended to not to hear the nervous giggles from the direction of the hedge.

"You said I'd owe you for helping," Stephanie brought up when she and Ranger were on the way back to Haywood. "What do I owe?"

Ranger only smiled. "I'm saving up."

-oOo-

When Stephanie walked into the control room Thursday morning at ten there was an unusual sense of tension in the air. She soon found out why.

Cressida Marlowe was in the building.

**-oOo-**

_TBC…_


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: Sorry for the really long wait. Things have been crazy here and it's been hard to get back into the story to write. I hope you haven't given up!**_

_Disclaimer: Same old, same old - the characters from the books belong to JE. I'm borrowing them without permission and twisting some of them...so far they haven't complained..._

-oOo-

_**Chapter 14**_

Evidently one single, skinny, and apparently sex-starved British woman was enough to terrorize a building full of Merry Men.

Stephanie knocked on Ranger's closed office door and waited until he called to come in. Tank managed to slide in behind her and get the door closed as soon as she'd cleared the jam.

"In a hurry, Tank?" she teased. "What's wrong?"

"_That woman_ is here. The costume woman."

"How did she get in?" Steph knew she couldn't have just walked in. The security at RangeMan was as tight as Fort Knox.

Ranger sighed, clearly not very happy. "She brought back your bag and said she needed access to the costume trunk to make some modifications to it that the studio requested. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to be in any hurry to get it done – she's been here for over an hour and hasn't even asked to be taken to the fourth floor where the trunk is."

"What is she doing?"

Lester tapped on the doorframe and came sliding in through the door in almost the same heartbeat, the door closing swift and silent behind him. "Sorry, Ranger. That woman had me trapped in the hall." He shuddered.

Tank grinned at Lester's obvious discomfort. "What lines did she try on you?"

"Well, she said the gods were smiling on her today, and then she said 'nice pants – can I talk you out of them?' And seriously, how many hands does she have? I swear I grabbed both her wrists and she _still_ managed to- Oh, hi, Steph."

Stephanie was smirking. "So, Ms. Marlowe is running around propositioning you guys? Come on, she can't be that bad."

"She trapped Woody in the break room," Lester informed her, "singing, 'Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy'."

"She asked me if my girlfriend called me Tripod," Tank added. "She told Ranger that God was showing off when he was created, and then she asked if she could have his baby."

Steph turned for the door and Lester stepped in front of her. "Where are you going?"

"Upstairs to get my gun," Stephanie said, her smile gone.

"Babe, you can't shoot her for being a…"

Steph turned back to where Ranger was still searching for a word. "Are you sure? Aren't there anti-poaching laws still on the books in New Jersey?"

A strangled sound came from Lester's direction behind her. Tank and Ranger both grinned.

"That may be, but I think they only carry a fine. You can't shoot her."

Hands on hips, Stephanie was only momentarily stymied. "Well, _**she**_ probably doesn't know that. I'll get my gun and my utility belt and put them on, then take her to work on the bag. That will give us time to figure out what to do with her."

"I think the problem is that she's bored at the hotel alone. If we could send her sightseeing or something…" Ranger began.

Steph got that look on her face that meant she'd thought of something. "Has she seen or made a pass at Cal?" _Maybe the flaming skull tattoo would cool her off._

Tank nodded somberly. "She told him her body had 265 bones in it, and asked if he would make it 266."

"Hector?"

"Said his ass was so fine it was a shame he had to sit on it," Ranger volunteered. "Actually I think Hector took it as a compliment."

"So, Hector isn't freaked out by her?" Steph asked intently.

The guys looked at each other questioningly, then slowly shook their heads.

"I guess not," Ranger said. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, if Hector agrees, maybe he could take her to New York for the day. He knows his way around and could show her the main tourist sites and maybe some lesser known favorite spots. It could cost some money, though…"

"It would be worth it, if she'll go for it. Go ahead and take her to the fourth floor and get what she needs to do done. I'll talk to Hector and give you a call."

Stephanie found Miss Marlowe in the control room hovering entirely too close behind Max and Hal, who were trying to keep their eyes on her and still watch the monitors. Stephanie nearly had to drag her out of there but managed to chivvy her into the elevator and down to the fourth floor – only to remember she didn't have a key to the little suite the wardrobe trunk was in. No problem, though, because Ella was walking down the hall towards them.

"Ranger said you needed in but he forgot to give you a key," she said with a smile as she opened the locked door. "You can just lock it and pull the door shut when you leave."

"Thank you, Ella," Steph smiled.

Inside, Cressida heaved a deep sigh before she unlocked the trunk. She opened a small compartment and pulled out a rolled toolkit, then pulled some chain and a spool of heavy silver wire from another nook. Then she made herself comfortable on the side of the bed and picked up the bag and a tool.

"What are you going to do?" Steph finally asked curiously.

Cressida looked at her for a moment as if to gage if she was really interested or just making conversation. "The costume master said this bag would be okay if we added some chain mail to it, like to make a shoulder strap or a handle."

"You can just make chain mail?" Steph moved a little closer, intrigued by the idea. "Is it hard to make? Wait, did you make all the chain mail on the costume?"

"Yes, it's something my father taught me. He was very active in historical reenactments for a while and insisted that the costumes be accurate in every detail. When he made appearances as a knight I got to be his page. Making mail is time-consuming and something of an art, so not many people know how to make it any more."

"That's really cool. I never thought about it being handmade. I guess I assumed it was machine-made somehow."

For a few minutes there were only the sounds of the tools against the heavy metal wire as Cressida wove loops into the chain to form an inch-wide piece.

"Would it be very much more difficult to make it into kind of a belt?" Steph ventured. "Kind of like a nicer version of a fanny pack? It would be nice if I didn't have to hang on to it, to keep my hands free."

The British woman turned to look at her with a small frown, then she nodded. "That's right, I forgot. You're going to be holding a leopard's leash, aren't you? I guess you might need both of your hands." She looked away, her eyes losing focus slightly as she though about it. "I think I can do that. Let me make some more chain and then, if you don't mind, we can try it around your waist to get it the proper length."

Steph watched but didn't ask any more questions as Cressida worked. She obediently stood for the costumer to fit it against her waist, and when she was happy with the length of chain she laid it on the bed and dug for something else in the trunk.

"…sure I put it in here…" she muttered to herself, but after a couple of minutes she made an 'ah-ha' sound and held up something that proved to be some sort of clasp. Then she turned to Steph. "If you don't mind holding these up for me, it will be much easier for me to connect them," she said, holding up one end of the chain and the loop end of the clasp. "Hold them like this, close together, and I can make the links to connect them."

It was a little trickier than Miss Marlowe made it sound to hold the pieces in place but keep her fingers out of the way, but Steph managed. She was still fascinated as she watched Cressida form the connecting links from heavy wire. Then she helped to hold the clutch purse in place as Cress punched holes and pounded metal grommets into the leather on each end of the bag, then threaded rings through them.

"I don't know if you'll use this bag again, but if you'd like, I can make a short handle that you can clip on the rings for later use."

"That would be great, Miss Marlowe, I'd like that," Stephanie said with the first honest smile she'd given the woman. And surprisingly enough, Cressida returned it.

"You can call me Cressy," she said. "You know, I appreciate you sitting with me while I do this. I don't think any of the men here want me around them."

For a moment Steph was torn between telling Cressida she'd scared the hell out of them or telling her more gently that she'd been coming on too strong. Steph's good nature won out - that, and she had discovered that the woman did have _some_ redeeming qualities.

"They're not used to having women in the building except for Ella and me, and I've only been here a couple of months." Stephanie began, giving Cress a half-smile when she looked up from her work. "Added to that, most women here are more likely to be afraid of them than, um, _hitting_ on them, if you know what I mean."

Cressida's hands dropped slowly to her lap. "Hitting...? You mean I was being too forward? I thought American men _liked_ forward women!"

Stephanie had to smile. "Well, most of them do - to a point. But these guys aren't used to it and you freaked them out a little. They don't know what to do."

"Bugger it all, I didn't mean to frighten them off."

"Just turn it down a few notches and you might have better luck. You're on the East Coast now, and things here are a little different than in California. Have you ever been East? To New York, Boston?"

"No. My flight was direct from Heathrow to Los Angeles, and I started work just a few days after I arrived. I haven't been anywhere or done anything but work in the costume department of the studio for the past eight months."

Stephanie's phone rang as if on cue. It was Ranger.

"I explained your idea to Hector and he volunteered before I could even ask. He said he'd enjoy it."

"Okay, we'll be up in just a bit."

As she closed her phone Stephanie found herself regretting being so quick to ship Cressida off. She wasn't _that_ bad. But she might actually enjoy the chance to see something other than the inside of her hotel room while she was here...

"Cressy? How would you like to see some of New York City today?"

-oOo-

Not too surprisingly, Cressida had been thrilled at the idea - so excited that she didn't make a single pass at any of the guys on their way back through the fifth floor to Ranger's office.

Ranger was out in the main area talking to one of the newer guys who's name Stephanie wasn't sure of yet. Lester, Tank, and a few others were watching warily but hadn't moved and were still within hearing distance when Ranger turned to greet them with a slight smile.

"Get the changes all made?" he asked by way of a greeting, curious as to what had happened. Stephanie no longer looked tempted to go for her gun.

"All done," Cressida answered with a smile.

Stephanie hid a smile of her own when she saw several eyebrows go up at the change. "Cressy made a chain-mail belt to hold the clutch so I won't have to hang on to it," she elaborated. "Actually, she made all the chain-mail on the costume."

"Really?" This came from Tank, but Hal edged a little closer, too. "I watched a guy making it once. It looked pretty complicated."

"There's a pattern to it, really. Once you understand the pattern, only the metal makes any difference. Working with iron is much more difficult than the alloy used in the costume."

Several more heads had turned and Stephanie decided she'd found the way to smooth over what had happened earlier. "Cressy's dad did reenactments as a knight, so she knows her stuff."

Any further questions the guys might have asked Cressida were cut short by Hector's arrival. He was wearing a pair of black slacks and a nice sweater, very different from his RangeMan uniform. Ranger saw him coming and made the introductions.

"Miss Marlowe, this is Hector. He will escort you on a day trip to see some of New York City, if you would like."

Cressida held her hand out to him. "I appreciate this, Hector."

"My pleasure," Hector told her, beaming as he shook her hand. Obviously Cressida wasn't intimidated by his facial tattoos. "My English is not always so great, so please tell me if you no understand, okay?"

"I will. And you'll tell me if you don't understand me?"

"Ok!"

"Are there any sights in particular you would like to see?" Ranger asked.

Biting her lip slightly, Cressida asked hesitantly, "How far apart are Boston and New York City? There's no way to see both, is there?"

The question caught everyone off guard, and Steph stepped in to answer it. "Not in what's left of today. When do you have to be back to California?"

"Shooting starts at noon on Monday, so I absolutely have to be back by then."

"So maybe you could stay and visit Boston on Saturday?"

"I'm off Saturday," Cal broke in when Cressida hesitated. "If you want a tour of Boston I'd be happy to take you."

"I'll call the pilot and see if he minds," she said. "If it's okay with him I'd love to!"

Hector hustled her off, asking as they went about different landmarks she might want to see. The others watched them go in bewildered silence.

"What did you do to her to get her settled down so much, Steph?" Lester asked. "Did you threaten to shoot her?"

"No! Sheesh! We just started talking while I was watching her work, and I realized she's been in American more than half a year and hasn't gotten to see anything but the studio where she's working. She's a little stir-crazy, you guys were handy targets, and somebody evidently told her American men like _**forward**_ women," Steph explained, rolling her eyes. "She just needed a break."

"And the rest of you need to get back to work," Ranger said. There were a few mock groans but the group scattered back to wherever they were supposed to be. Ranger took Steph's elbow and guided her back into his office.

"You've gotten Miss Marlowe out of the office and Hector will do all he can to make sure she has a good time in New York. So, what would you like to do for the rest of the day?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you can't go after any skips," Ranger said, "and I don't think you want to sit and run searches. Would you like to take Lula or Mary Lou to lunch and go shopping? Something just fun to keep your mind busy?"

Stephanie made a sound not quite a snort. "I couldn't spend more than twenty minutes with Lula before she realized something was going on, and then she'd question me all afternoon. And Mary Lou - I'd slip and tell her. I don't think that's a good idea."

Ranger's lips tilted up slightly. "Want _me_ to take you to lunch and shopping?"

"Oh, yeah," Steph agreed, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure you'd love _that_. How about we have a lazy lunch upstairs and watch a couple movies on your giant TV?"

"Sounds good to me," he agreed. Then with a gleam in his eyes he said, "And maybe we can have an early night..."

-oOo-

_**TBC...**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N: It's been a while, folks, and I apologize for the wait. My muse and I haven't been on speaking terms... This is short but at least it's here!**_

_The usual disclaimers apply._

-oOo-

_**Chapter 15**_

Ranger had a couple more things to do before he quit for the day so Stephanie went upstairs without him, thinking about lunch as she went. As soon as she got into the apartment she called Ella.

When she turned around from hanging up the phone she noticed the big envelope on the bar and remembered the CD of scenes the studio had sent to help her get a feel for the Catwoman character. She'd forgotten all about it!

Fifteen minutes later when Ranger arrived, he found her perched on the edge of the sofa with a remote in hand, watching the clips. He watched for a moment, then headed to the bedroom. He was not on call for the rest of the night and he wanted to be comfortable.

He returned a few minutes later minus his weapons, barefoot, wearing sweatpants with his t-shirt. Stephanie was still on the sofa, but the TV was blank.

"Babe," he said softly. She was obviously lost in thought and he didn't want to startle her too much. Her head turned and she smiled. "Everything okay?" he asked.

Her nose wrinkled slightly as she considered. "I think so. I was just a little surprised by the clips. I guess I never realized how much they do with computer graphics now - there's a lot of green screen in a couple of the clips. It was distracting." She looked up at him with a faint smile. "Want to watch them again with me and see if you think I can pass for the actress?"

Ranger didn't actually answer the question, he just slid behind her on the sofa and pulled her back against him. "I don't think you really need to look like the actress," he said. "I think they just want to stir up interest. And you will."

Stephanie leaned back into him, making a quiet happy sound when his arms went around her more firmly. "Actually, _you_ will," she corrected. "I'll just be holding the leash! But I do have the same basic coloring as the actress." She pushed a button on the remote and started the CD playing again. "See, she's got dark curly hair - not as curly as mine - and blue eyes, too. So I'm not too far off."

Ranger obediently watched the clips over Stephanie's shoulder. "You've got a better walk," he said. "She doesn't handle the heels as well as you do."

"She's not a Jersey girl," Stephanie smirked. "What can I say?"

He might have had an answer for that but Ella knocked on the door with lunch. Ranger got up to answer the door and Stephanie headed for the bedroom. Ranger had changed into comfortable clothes so she wanted to, too.

Ella brought dinner, too, as it turned out. She'd planned ahead, and the cart she rolled into the kitchen carried not only the chef salads she'd brought for lunch, but also a crock pot of stew and a basket of rolls for their dinner. It wasn't all that often that they had an entire evening to themselves, after all, and this would give them more privacy. She plugged in the crock pot, tucked a bottle of wine and a cream cheese pie with cherry topping into the fridge to stay chilled and took herself back downstairs.

They ended up curling up together on the sofa and watching Underworld after lunch. With the blinds closed to dim the room and the surround-sound on, it was as good as being at the movies and far more comfortable.

"When I first saw this," Ranger murmured into her ear at one point, "I thought it was unrealistic how the man seemed to take all the weirdness suddenly thrown at him more or less in stride. But then, you took learning my secret even better..." His arms tightened. "You have no idea how glad I was that you didn't freak."

Stephanie turned around to look up into his eyes. "You explained it first," she said, smiling. "I knew it was you. And I know you'd never hurt me, no matter what shape you were wearing."

"Babe," he said softly, then he kissed her, easing her closer in his arms. One kiss led to another and another... Then Stephanie shifted and the leather cushion beneath her slid, and they found themselves landing on the thick carpeting halfway under the coffee table. Stephanie giggled as Ranger pushed the table away, getting to his knees.

"Damned leather," he said under his breath. Then he scooped Stephanie off the floor and stood up, heading for the bedroom, the movie forgotten.

Stephanie was still giggling when he dropped her on the bed and stripped the oversized t-shirt she'd been wearing over her head. The giggles faded to just a smile when he eased her panties down her legs and tossed them aside. Then he pulled his hair-tie loose, dropped it on the nightstand, and yanked his shirt over his head. By the time he kicked off his sweatpants the smile was nearly gone and her eyes had gotten wide.

"I guess you don't intend for this to be a quickie?" she said, her voice slightly breathless as he crawled onto the bed towards her.

He leaned over her with a predatory smile.

"Definitely not."

-oOo-

_**TBC...**_ _(soon, I hope!)_


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: Another short chapter, but I decided things might go better if I can keep the muse working... LOL, one of my friends offered to have a 'talk' with her out behind the wood shed! Maybe __**that**__ would keep her in line!_

_**Standard disclaimers apply - although Cressida and the costume are all mine!**_

...

_**Chapter 16**_

-oOo-

When Stephanie woke on Friday morning it was after ten and Ranger was rubbing her shoulder.

"Time to wake up, Babe. Ella's bringing your breakfast, and you have salon appointments starting in an hour."

"I do?" Steph asked groggily as she struggled out of bed. Ranger, who wasn't dressed for the day yet either, steadied her and helped her put her robe on. They could get dressed after they ate.

"Miss Marlowe set it up with help from Ella. It's supposed to relax you and help get you ready for tonight."

Ella had come and gone, leaving two covered plates, juice, and coffee on the table. Stephanie sank into a chair with a faint groan.

"I can't decide if I'm scared or excited about tonight," she told Ranger. "Does that make sense?"

His lips quirked up slightly and he bent to kiss her before taking his own seat. "It does to me. You're worried about things going wrong, but you're excited about dressing up - especially since you get to be a mystery woman for a night. Right?"

He knew her too well. She tried to think of an argument but ended up just nodding her agreement.

"What happens behind the scenes is up to the guys and me. You just have fun."

"Okay."

After breakfast Steph took a quick shower and did her essential shaving before dressing in jeans and, after a little thought, a button-up shirt. She wasn't sure what Cressida had planned - they hadn't discussed it - but she knew from prom experience not to wear a shirt that had to go over your head if you were getting your hair done. The button-up shirt would be easy to get off with the least fuss when she got back.

It was a surprise to be met in the garage by Woody and Cressida. She probably should have known Ranger would send a driver since he had things to do, but for some reason she really hadn't expected Cressida to be coming.

"Hi, Cressy. Are you coming with me?" she asked as if it wasn't obvious.

"Yes, of course - as long as you don't mind. Since you're doing a promotional appearance, the studio will pay for everything today," she said, waving a credit card and smiling. "And I'm hoping they might fit me in for a manicure, too."

With a studio credit card and an armed RangeMan escort, Stephanie was pretty sure they could get just about anything done.

They went to a day-spa first. Stephanie had driven past it but had never been inside. The women running the place were soft-spoken and very professional, and Stephanie was treated to a facial, a body-wrap that was almost like a full-body facial, had her eyebrows shaped and her hands and feet both pampered. Cressida got her hands done and kept her company in the rooms. Which was probably a good thing, since Stephanie was so relaxed she would otherwise have fallen asleep.

Next they headed for the mall to get her hair done. Mr. Alexander was happy to see Stephanie hadn't done anything dreadful to her hair lately, and he and Cressida carried on a discussion about fashion with little input from her as he washed, trimmed, and set her hair on rollers. While it was drying Cressy chatted with Mr. Alexander, who was happy to tell her his Stephanie hair-disaster stories - over Stephanie's laughing objections. Cressy also flirted with Woody in a much milder way than before. And apparently Woody didn't mind at all.

When her hair was finally dry, Cressida directed Mr. Alexander to carefully remove each roller and pin the curl in place; Cressida herself would do the final arrangement after Stephanie was dressed.

Woody had sat patiently through the two-hour procedure, but when he saw Steph's hair in pinned rolls his eyebrows went up just a little.

"I'm sure it's not the final style, Woody," Stephanie told him with a laugh. "It's just to keep it from going flat or frizzing."

Wisely he said nothing, just drove them back to Haywood.

It was time to get ready for the party now; the drive to Atlantic City would take some time and they still had to meet Dimitri.

Oddly, as she waited with Ella in the seventh floor apartment while Cressy and Woody fetched the costume trunk, Stephanie found her nerves had disappeared. Instead she felt calm and just a little detached.

Stephanie had trimmed her 'offending' pubic hair the night before - with Ranger's help, which resulted in some playing around in the shower - and this time Cressida was much more polite and meticulous as she and Ella helped Stephanie into the costume. As each piece went on, Cressida had Stephanie move, bend, twist, and sit to make sure nothing shifted, bunched, or pinched. When the costume was fully on Stephanie also double-checked that she could go to the bathroom without help.

While Ella moved one of the barstools into the bathroom and got out Stephanie's makeup bag and hair things, Cressida showed Steph how the clasp of the little purse 'belt' worked and helped her get it on comfortably. She also took the opportunity of a moment alone to say something privately.

"Stephanie," she began. "I just want to thank you for arranging my tour of New York yesterday. I didn't understand everything Hector told me - and I'm sure that went both ways - but he was very kind to me. I got to see more of the city than I thought possible in one day."

"I didn't-"

"I know I didn't make a very good first impression here and there's nothing I can do about that, but thanks to you the men have all been very nice to me today. So...thanks."

"Cressy, I didn't have much to do with it. You were obviously bored here. I mentioned you hadn't gotten to see anything of the US yet; Hector volunteered to show you New York, and-" she broke off with a shrug. "The guys at RangeMan can make things happen very quickly, and they're all very proud of our country. A number of them have served in the armed forces."

"I'm guessing not Hector?" When Steph confirmed her guess she asked, "Do the tattoos on his face have anything to do with that?"

Steph really didn't want to go into details - it was Hector's business, after all, and in the past. So she just told her, "He used to be in a gang."

There was a little awkward pause, as if Cressida was waiting for more information. Instead Stephanie changed the subject.

"Cressida... Do you get paid well at the studio?"

"It's not bad."

"Is there anything in your contract that gives the studio claim over your designs while you work there?"

"I don't think so. Why?"

"Well, at the salon I was thinking - when the movie comes out, I bet accessories made with chain mail will be a hot item. Maybe you ought to design some things and try to get them in stores."

Cressida tilted her head thoughtfully. "Like what?"

"You know how tunics seem to be coming back? What if you could make a belt with chain-mail panels or fringe, kind of like this," Steph pointed at the 'skirt' of the costume, "that women could wear over a tunic. It would be a cool look, but a belt isn't so expensive that you can't splurge a little. And maybe something in jewelry - bracelets, or maybe a triangular necklace..."

"And maybe an evening bag? I see where you're going, and that's a good idea. As soon as I get back to California I'll look into that. Thank you."

Stephanie grinned. "Well... I know _**I**_ wouldn't mind having things like that!" She looked down, fingering the chain mail of the skirt-flap. "And this costume is just really cool. You're a genius!"

Cressida's smile was bright as she lightly applied Stephanie's foundation. As she moved on to her eyes she slowed, concentrating on emphasizing Stephanie's eyes, being pretty liberal in her use of black eyeliner. Then she shaded her cheeks carefully, fetching a bronzing powder from the trunk to contour and lightly shade her neck, cleavage, and torso - which tickled and made Steph squirm and giggle.

"We'll do your lips last, I think," Cressy said, standing back to check her work. "Otherwise we might smudge it doing your hair and mask."

The pinned curls were carefully let loose, and Cressida ran through them lightly with a wide comb that had only a few teeth. Then she pulled a small section of the front and sides - just in front of her ears - up to the top of her head and pinned them flat, letting the curls cascade down the back. This made it easy to slip on the mask/headband combination.

Cressida went back out into the bedroom to get the forgotten 'collar' necklace. Steph just sat and stared at her reflection in the mirror, in a little shock over her transformation. She hadn't gotten a good look before.

Ella, who'd been quietly watching the whole time, spoke up with a smile. "You look incredible. You're going to have to go through the fifth floor so the guys can see you or they'll never forgive you - or Ranger." She shook her head slightly. "As it is, if it wasn't for those leggings I don't think Ranger would let you out the door in that. I'm sure he won't be letting you out of his sight!"

-oOo-

_**TBC...**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Disclaimer: Folks from the books belong to JE. Everything else - including RangerCat! - is mine.**_

_A/N: This is another short chapter, sorry, but at least it's something! Maybe the next one will work out to be longer._

_**Chapter 17**_

After the collar necklace was fastened and Cressida had closed up the trunk, Cressida and Ella left the apartment. Stephanie was still in the bathroom, still oddly calm, looking at herself in the costume. She wasn't at all surprised when Ranger stepped behind her.

"Babe, you look like sin," he said softly, smiling at her in the mirror. He ran his fingers lightly across her bare shoulders. "Still feeling okay?"

She returned his smile. "So far, so good." Turning to him she saw he was ready, too, dressed in black as usual. But tonight his pants were slub silk and the drawstring at the waist was covered by the thin silk sweater that clung lovingly to his shoulders, chest, and biceps. Unless they were looking closely no one would notice that he wore moccasins instead of dress shoes, or that he'd forgone any jewelry - including his usual watch. But with his physique and his hair loose around his shoulders, Steph was pretty sure no one was going to be looking at his feet!

"Earth to Babe," she heard and looked up to see that Ranger's smile had grown to nearly-blinding. Evidently he'd been talking to her and she hadn't noticed.

"Sorry. What did you say?"

He gave her a wicked grin before he relented. "I was asking where your bag is. I've got the gun for you."

"Oh." She twisted slightly, thrusting her left hip out. "Cressy made it into something I could wear, so my hands aren't tied up. Much cooler than a fanny-pack."

"So I see."

He handed her the small revolver loaded with the blue animal tranquilizer darts. As Stephanie tucked it into her small clutch-turned-belt Ranger could see that her ID card and her lipstick were already in place. The corner of a folded bill peeked from behind her ID card, too, and he knew Steph was bringing a little 'mad money' - just in case something happened.

Once the gun was in place Stephanie looked up and him again. "Um... what about the other-"

Ranger held out his hand. On his palm were two darts with clear liquid centers. "These need to be hidden. I'd carry them, but..."

"Yeah, yeah - metal disappears. Well, I don't have pockets...and the bag is obvious..." Stephanie trailed off, quiet for a moment, then she turned and opened the cabinet under the vanity and dragged out the large first-aid box. She sorted through a box of band-aids and grabbed the small scissors from the slot in the lid.

The band-aid she'd selected was a larger one - one meant for skinned knees or elbows. Opening it, she peeled back the non-stick covering and carefully clipped off the part covered with gauze. Next she took one of the darts from Ranger, peeled the rest of the non-stick paper off, and stuck the dart to the adhesive part diagonally. Then, very carefully, she hunched forward, used her other hand to lift up one breast, and eased the dart into place over the glued-on nude color thing that kept the chain mail from pinching the tender parts of her breasts. When she'd maneuvered the dart where she wanted it - above the leather band of the costume top, but on the lower curve of her breast - she gently smoothed the adhesive tape down.

Once she'd removed her hand and adjusted the mail top again, she stood up straight and looked up at Ranger. "Okay - can you see it? Is there a bump or does the adhesive tape show?"

Ranger looked back and forth, even gently ran his thumb over the area in question before he answered. "It's not visible, but aren't you worried it'll poke you?"

"Not really - not unless some grabs my boob and squeezes me." She pulled the other side of the top aside to show him the flesh-colored cloth. "Cressida glued this stuff to me. She says chain mail tends to nip your wabs, and while I'm not sure of the exact translation of that, it didn't sound good, so... I taped the dart over the fabric stuff so it's between layers and less likely to shift and stab me. But if I suddenly pass out on you, you'll know why!"

Smiling faintly, Ranger helped her get the second dart ready and put it in place. "Trust me, I won't let anyone get close enough to grab any part of your anatomy tonight."

Stephanie had to smile at the threat in Ranger's voice and couldn't resist teasing him a little. "Down, kitty! Just don't forget they're there and hug me too tightly yourself."

He didn't reply, just gave her a faint smirk. With one last check they headed for the door.

**-oOo-**

_A/N2: Next chapter is showing the costume to the Merry Men. I can't decide...should Ranger go with her or let her brave the mob on her own?_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Disclaimer: Characters from the books property of JE. Everyone else - including RangerCat! - is mine.**_

_A/N: It has been a long, weird, hot, and allergy-packed summer, and I apologize for making you all wait. Thanks for not giving up on me!_

**-oOo-**

_**Chapter 18**_

When the door opened on the fifth floor, both Cressida and Ella were waiting.

"I'll walk with you - I want to hear what the boys think," Cressida said with a grin.

"Don't let anyone hug her." Ranger said it simply but there was no doubt it was an order.

"Of course not," Cressida agreed easily. "Can't have her mussed, can we? Don't forget your lippy, sweet."

While Stephanie carefully applied her lipstick, Ella smiled at Ranger. "I'm going to find a good spot to watch. Want to come with me?"

He shook his head. "I'll wait for her here. I don't want to put a damper on the guys' fun. They all know not to go too far." When Stephanie looked over at him he gave her an almost-smile and a nod. "Knock 'em dead, Babe."

Ella scooted down the hall and disappeared into the control room. Stephanie nodded back at Ranger and took a deep breath. As she let the breath out slowly her body language changed and a seductive smile crept across her lips. She started down the hall with her hip-swaying 'distraction' walk, her body seeming to loosen up even as she walked. Cressida followed a few steps behind.

-oOo-

Ella planted herself in the corner with a good view of most of the control room, including the door Steph would come in. Tank noticed her and looked at her with a question on his face but before he could say anything, Steph walked in. She stopped just a few feet inside the room and cocked her hips, running the end of her 'tail' through her fingers in a blatantly sensual way.

Her voice, when she spoke, was low and husky and loaded with innuendo.

"Has anyone seen my kitty?"

The murmur of conversations trailed away as men looked up from workstations or out of cubicle doorways. Hal looked up, turned red, and promptly dropped the handful of files he was carrying. No one else seemed to notice what he'd done. All eyes were on Steph.

Hector said something low and fervent in Spanish, and Woody laughed. "You got that right!" he agreed, then he whistled.

That broke the silence and there were several other whistles, a few 'hubba-hubba's and several other complimentary if slightly lewd comments called out. Lester was grinning ear to ear and clapping, but he kept his mouth shut.

Stephanie grinned and did a runway strut up and down the length of the room, turning with an exaggerated wiggle, then blew them all a kiss and headed for the elevator. The sound level in the room rose as she left and Cressida met her at the door grinning.

"I think we can safely say the boys like the costume, yes?"

Steph grinned back. "Definitely!"

Ranger and Tank were waiting in the open elevator. Ranger's half-smile was in place and he raised one eyebrow at her. "Ready for the main event?" he asked.

"I'm ready."

A stretch limo was waiting in the garage and Tank took his place behind the wheel as Ranger and Stephanie got in the back. The privacy window was up, but Tanks' voice came over the intercom as the limo left the underground drive.

"We'll be at the meet point in twenty minutes."

Stephanie wiggled a bit, getting the chain mail out from under her butt so she'd be more comfortable. She hoped she didn't have to sit too much tonight. "Where are we meeting Dimitri?" she asked.

"There's a gas station just off the highway in Blackwood," Ranger answered. "Tank arranged with the owner for Dimitri to leave his vehicle parked there tonight. It's not far from where he's staying, and right on our way to Atlantic City. We can drop him back off on the way home."

"That's convenient."

"We thought so, too."

They rode a few minutes in silence, then Stephanie broke the silence. "Did anyone check the weather? It's fine now, but if it gets much cooler...there's not a lot to this costume."

Ranger chuckled. "Ella thought of that." He gestured to the front seat. "Tank has a cape for you if it gets chilly. And we also have this." He leaned forward and picked up a red satin box, about four inches square and a little over an inch thick. He opened the lid and Stephanie recognized a very small earpiece. "You can wear this to keep in touch with Tank. He will hear anything above a murmur, so if you need something you have only to say. He can also tell you if anything is going on you should know."

"Cool. Should I put it on now?"

"You should probably put it on before we pick up Dimitri. Tank has his on. We can do a quick sound check then he'll turn the power off until we arrive at the Resort."

Steph got it positioned in her ear with little trouble. Ranger spoke to Tank on the intercom and a moment later Stephanie heard Tank's voice in her ear. She spoke back and a few small adjustments were made to the volume, then Tank turned the power off on his end. They were almost to Blackwood.

Dimitri was waiting in his RangeMan SUV but got out as soon as the limo turned into the lot. He looked very dignified in his tux.

Ranger leaned over and picked up the collar and leash from the facing seat, pressing them into her hand. "Time for Manchado to go to work, Babe. Good luck and have fun!" He gave Stephanie a quick kiss on the cheek, then she felt the familiar tingle as the air next to her shimmered and Manchado - with the silvery coloring of Luccichio - appeared.

Stephanie took a deep breath and blew it out. "Okay. Here we go." She buckled the belt/collar around the big snow leopard's neck, gave him a caress, then sat back with the leash in her lap.

Tank had gotten out to open the door for Dimitri, and she saw the older man bend to look in before he entered. Seeing Stephanie and the cat on the back seat, he got in and made himself comfortable on the rear-facing seat.

"Good evening, Stephanie. My, don't you look wonderful!" He chuckled slightly. "And of course, you, too, Manchado! I think the two of you will cause quite a stir at this party tonight, and I have to say I'm looking forward to it."

Stephanie grinned at him as she felt the limo swing back onto the highway. "Me, too. Isn't this a great costume?"

"It is indeed. It doesn't look very comfortable, though."

"Actually, as long as I don't sit on the chain mail it's very comfortable. Not very warm, though!"

Dimitri eyed the big cat lounging easily beside Stephanie. "Do you think Manchado will have any trouble with the crowd? The costume party is usually well attended."

She gave a slight shrug. "Crowds don't bother him, unless someone steps on him or something. And if he needs a break he'll let me know." She looked over at the cat with a grin. "Won't you, Manchado?"

The big cat made a quiet huffing sound and looked away.

"I think you've offended him," Dimitri said with a smile. "If she gives you any trouble just bite her leg."

Manchado looked at Dimitri, then looked at Steph. The end of his tail started twitching slightly.

"Oh, no. Don't get any ideas, big boy," she chided the cat. Then she turned on Dimitri, shaking a finger at him, "And don't you be giving him ideas, either!"

The rest of the trip was spent in sporadic conversation. As they entered Atlantic City Stephanie spoke up. "I've been thinking... I don't want anyone to guess who I am, and it would probably be for the best if anyone who asked thought that this was Luccichio. Maybe for the evening you should call me something else."

"I could call you Ling Su. She will be Luccicho's trainer, and she could fit your general description - she is English and Chinese and nearly your height."

"That would work. Ling Su. Ling Su..." She made a small face then grinned. "If I don't answer to it, give me a nudge, okay?"

"I don't think you'll have a problem."

Then suddenly they were pulling up in front of the Resort, where the sidewalks on either side of the red-carpet-covered entry were packed with press and cameras and security. Just ahead of them another limo was disgorging a man dressed like Han Solo with a very famous face.

"Showtime, my dear," Dimitri said softly.

Stephanie slipped the leash onto the collar and ran her fingers lightly through the silvery fur to steady her nerves. The cat stood up; the door opened and Dimitri slid out first. Stephanie took one more deep breath and smiled, then motioned for RangerCat to go first and she followed him gracefully out the door into a blinding gauntlet of camera flashes.

**-oOo-**

_TBC..._


	19. Chapter 19

_**Same disclaimer as before...**_

_A/N: Okay, it's a few days late, but I have a good excuse - I'm having computer issues. Sorry!_

**-oOo-**

_**Chapter 19**_

Dimitri got out of the back passenger seat easily and went immediately to the man on one side of the carpet whose job it was to check invitations. Producing both the invitation and his credentials, he explained quickly that he had special guests. He didn't have time to get more specific before the big silvery snow leopard flowed out of the limo and onto the red carpet. A collective gasp traveled up the line of spectators to the door, turning heads all the way into the Resort lobby.

The leopard paused just before reaching the end of the leash and waited, looking back at the open limo door. One black boot with chains and a tall spike heel appeared from the shadowed interior, followed by a mile-long black-leather-wrapped leg. Then Steph emerged and stood up in one smooth motion, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, and paused. The silver chain-mail and rhinestones caught the light of the spotlights and camera flashes and glittered brilliantly.

She might not have been royalty or an actress, Dimitri thought to himself, but she could certainly pull off a dramatic entrance!

Murmurs, quickly growing in volume, began as Stephanie and the leopard exchanged a glance. Her lips curved up in a knowing smile, then she took a step forward. The leopard fell into step with her in that menacing prowling gait Dimitri had seen them practice in the warehouse.

The crowd loved it.

If the camera flashes had been blinding before, they now lit up the whole entrance in an almost white-hot continuous flash. People called '_look here_' and _'who is she?_' and '_what kind of cat is that?_', their voices overlapping to the point it was just noise. Dimitri hung back slightly, staying in Stephanie's line of vision but out of most of the camera shots, letting her be the center of attention.

Strolling slowly, the pair made their way to a central cluster of reporters with microphones and cameramen. She smiled again when several of the reporters shrank back slightly as RangerCat moved in close.

A female with a microphone stepped forward bravely. "Good evening, and welcome to the Resort Hotel and Casino Halloween Gala. Can you tell me your name?"

"I'm Catwoman, of course," Stephanie answered. There was a touch of amusement in her low throaty voice.

"Of course," the reporter repeated smoothly, "I should have recognized you. It has been a while since I last saw you. Are you in town for something special?"

Steph smiled a mysterious Mona Lisa smile. "You'll have to wait until tomorrow for the answer to that."

That flustered the reporter just a bit. "Okay. Who is your feline friend?"

Steph rested her hand on RangerCat's head, sinking her fingers into his soft fur. The smile she gave the reporter and her cameras grew until it was just short of sinful. "This is my kitty, Luccichio. He's a snow leopard."

"He's beautiful. Is he friendly?" another reporter - a man – asked, cutting in. He looked as if he was thinking about touching and RangerCat responded with a low, barely-heard growl.

"Oh, mostly!" Steph answered with good humor. "Unless he's hungry."

The man tried to step backwards but was blocked by his cameraman and other reporters. He and several others laughed a little uncertainly.

Another limo let out more guests behind them. Navigating through the groups of reporters turned into a slow stop-and-go traffic jam the length of the red carpet and into the luxurious lobby of the Resort. Steph didn't speak much but she and RangerCat certainly stirred up interest. Only a couple of very confident people asked permission to stroke RangerCat's fur.

In an alcove just out of sight of the open doors, a security team waited with hand-held metal detectors to clear the guests through. The tall older blonde man apparently in charge took one look at Steph's scanty chain-mail costume and looked down at his paddle-shaped detector in dismay. Stephanie chuckled and took pity on him.

"I've got a small revolver loaded with tranquilizer darts in case of emergencies, as required when working a big cat in public," she told him quietly. With the leash in her right hand, she opened the small bag on her left hip and held it so that the man could see inside. Everything was clearly visible, and he nodded in appreciation and relief, motioning that he was satisfied. "Oh," she added, reaching behind herself for a moment, "I also have this…tail." She pulled the whip around, gently dragging the end strands across his forearm in a slightly exaggerated caress. Her eyes laughed up at him when he momentarily lost his stone face and snorted a laugh.

"Well, try not to kill anyone with it tonight, Catwoman. And enjoy your evening."

"Oh, I shall!" she purred, and checking that she hadn't lost Dimitri, she made her way into the main ballroom with RangerCat close at her side.

**-oOo-**

The ballroom was full but not unpleasantly packed. A buffet of hors d'oeuvres, canapés, and finger foods lined one wall and caterers circulated with trays of drinks. Stephanie asked for a glass of iced sparkling water and sipped it as she mingled.

She was a little surprised how many celebrities approached her, curious about the identity of the woman beneath the mask. They spoke to her as if she were one of them, and she had to give herself a little credit for not acting star-struck. Dimitri stayed nearby, not hovering but reassuring. Several times he brought her a fresh ice water and a small plate of nibbles, smiling when she tried to coax RangerCat into eating one.

A few brave souls – and some of them were famous – approached cautiously and asked if it was okay to pet Luccichio. RangerCat was pretty tolerant to all but one tipsy starlet, and he simply went to Stephanie's other side. He got a dirty look from Steph when he let one of the women all but molest him, after which he bumped his head against her leg until she relented and scratched his ears.

After about an hour and a half Stephanie noticed RangerCat was watching someone in the crowd and knelt down, asking him in a murmur if he'd spotted his target. He huffed agreement and nudged her knee again, and she looked around for Dimitri.

**-oOo-**

_TBC..._


	20. Chapter 20

_**Chapter 20**_

Dimitri was nearby and had been keeping an eye on Stephanie, so he was at her side in just a moment. "Is anything wrong?"

Stephanie smiled. "Not wrong, it's just that we could use a break. I thought maybe now would be a good time since it seems like most of the guests are occupied with the buffet."

"Yes, you're right," Dimitri agreed, looking around and nodding. "I spoke to the event coordinator just after we came in about the possible needs of the leopard, and a room has been set aside for your use." He pulled a plastic key-card from his tux pocket and handed it over. "It's room 118 and I believe it's on this floor, just off the hall in the next wing. Would you like me to walk you to it?"

"No, I think I can find it. Thanks, Dimitri. We should only be a half hour or so, just long enough to give my feet a rest and let Manchado have some quiet."

"Very well." He patted his tux over his chest. "I have the cell phone your company provided so please feel free to call me if you need anything."

Nodding and giving him another smile, Stephanie let RangerCat wind his way through the crowd to the doorway on one end of the buffet tables. The doorway led to a short hall with a set of fancy restrooms off one side. Past the restrooms there was another hall, this one with a few rooms with numbered doors. Number 118 was at the far end of the hall.

Stephanie had removed the collar as soon as they left the ballroom, so now she wrapped the leash around her arm to hold them as she slotted the plastic key into the lock to open the door. RangerCat nosed in ahead of her and she let him, flipping on the light and closing the door, then leaning back on it while he checked things out.

It wasn't set up like a hotel room, exactly. It was almost like a tiny suite and Stephanie wondered if it was a room provided for entertainers. The door had opened into a slightly narrow room. Just inside the door was a tiny kitchenette with a small table and two straight chairs. On the far end, near a window she thought might look out over the grounds near the pool, there was a sofa, chair, side table with lamp, and a wall-mounted flat-screen TV.

Between the kitchenette and the TV there was an archway. When RangerCat disappeared through it Stephanie followed.

It was a small bedroom. Double bed, small dresser, single nightstand with a lamp and a clock-radio. Another door revealed a full bathroom nearly the same size as the bedroom, with a huge mirror over a generous vanity.

She headed back to the main room and was just in time to see the blue shimmer fade around Ranger's tall form as he reached to lock the door's deadbolt.

"It's a pretty nice room," Stephanie said conversationally. "Tank, did you check it out?"

"Yes. It's secure."

Ranger stretched and then rubbed his hands together. "That marble floor is cold. How are your feet holding up?"

"They're a little tired but not bad."

"Would you loan me your earpiece? I'd like to talk to Tank for a minute."

Stephanie handed the little earpiece over, then carefully sat down on the sofa to unzip and pull off her boots. She flexed her toes in the soft carpet, sighing.

Ranger had stepped over to the kitchenette and was surveying the contents of the mini-fridge as he talked quietly to Tank. From what she could hear, Stephanie knew they were talking about the target's position, who was around him, and so on. It wasn't anything she needed to know.

She unclipped the leather bag from her waist and laid it on the cushion beside her so she could lean back more comfortably. As much as was possible while wearing chain-mail, anyway.

Before she managed to get comfortable Ranger was standing in front of her holding out one hand, a half-smile playing across his lips. "Babe, this is the only part of the evening I've been looking forward to," he said. And she gave him her hand.

He pulled her back to her feet and led her into the bedroom. Then the logistics of her costume made him frown, which made her laugh.

"There's no quick way in or out of this get-up, Ranger. You're going to have to settle for a one-sided quickie this time." Even as she spoke, Stephanie reached for his waist and tugged on the drawstring. Any protest he might have made was forgotten as she stood on tiptoe to kiss him.

Ranger leaned into the kiss, willing to let Stephanie take the lead. He made a soft sound in his throat as her hands slipped inside the waistband of the pants and began to slide the fabric down his hips, pushing them to his thighs which was as far as she could reach without breaking the kiss.

She pushed him back slightly until he sat on the edge of the bed. Then she drew back and started to sink to her knees.

Ranger's hands moved - to stop her, to help her, she didn't know. But she caught them and moved them firmly to his sides.

"No touching," she said with a little smile of her own. She couldn't afford to let him touch her. Only her lipstick fitted in the little bag with the gun, and there was only so much touching up she could do with that. And she wasn't sure she'd be able to fix her costume if it got too skewed. Besides, the situation was a good excuse to have _her_ way for once.

He was being surprisingly cooperative. Perched on the edge of the bed he was exactly where Stephanie wanted him. She pushed back on his chest and he leaned back on his hands. Tugging the pants over his knees and down around his ankles let Steph see the response of Ranger's body to her taking charge and she had to hide a grin.

She pushed his feet back, pushed his knees wide, and shoved the hem of his shirt up to expose his ridged abdomen, then sat back on her heels with a happy sigh and admired the view.

Ranger endured her contemplation for a few moments, then growled, "Stephanie!"

She had the audacity to smirk at him. "Patience, kitty. I need a minute here." Her hands went to the chain-mail top and she wiggled her fingers under the metal carefully, then pulled out the adhesive tape and the knock-out dart. She stuck the tape to the bedspread a safe distance away, then repeated the procedure on the other side - the whole time keeping her eyes fixed on the exposed portion of Ranger's anatomy.

Ranger made more growling noises, but the quickened pulse visible in his hardened organ and the change is his breathing made it obvious he didn't _really_ mind the short delay. Quite the opposite. But his patience had a limit.

She scooted forward, using his knees to steady herself as she wiggled into position with one knee on either side of his feet. Then she slid her palms up his thighs and leaned forward slightly, breathing out just above his skin.

"Babe," he ground out, and she relented.

Leaning just a bit closer so that her lips touched him, she whispered, "Watch." Then she held him steady with one hand fisted around the base and slowly sucked him into her mouth.

She moved slowly at first, using her other hand to rub across the tightened muscles of his abdomen and teasing his navel. Then she slid it down to explore underneath, fondling and tugging gently until she had to use her elbows to keep his knees apart. Then she concentrated and moved a little faster, sucked a little harder...

Ranger fell back on the bed, breathing hard, his fists slowly unclenching. Steph used his knees to get to her feet and padded into the bathroom. She returned a few minutes later with a warm washcloth and used it to gently clean away anything she'd missed. He caught her hand and pulled her down to kiss her.

After several kisses she pulled away and pulled him upright, avoiding his half-hearted attempt to catch her.

"Quickie, remember? No more now. You'll have to wait until we get home for more. You have things to do." Then her eyes got huge and her mouth made a horrified 'O'. "Ranger, please tell me you don't still have the earpiece on..."

Ranger laughed, finally getting up and starting to put his clothes back in order. "No, Babe, you're safe. I told Tank we were going off-line for about ten minutes and I left it on the kitchenette counter. He shouldn't have heard anything." He finished tying the drawstring and smoothed a hand down the front of his pants with a faint groan. Then, lightning-fast, he yanked her close for a deep, hot kiss.

"Okay," he said huskily as he slowly let got of her. "_Now_ I'm ready."

He retrieved the two darts from the tape on the bedspread and left the bedroom. Stephanie followed him to lean against the bedroom doorway and watched as he got out the little gun, took out two of the animal darts and loaded the clear ones, then attached the short silencer. He dropped it into his pocket, put the earpiece back in his ear, did a quick check with Tank, and gave her a grin. "I'll be right back," he said and then he slipped out of the door.

He really wasn't gone very long. Stephanie readjusted her costume and got a drink from the fridge. Then she visited the bathroom, fixed her lipstick, and finger-fluffed her hair. By the time she got her boots on and clipped the bag back around her waist, he was back.

Dark eyes glittering, he stole a kiss, gave her back the gun and earpiece, then shimmered back into the silvery snow leopard form of Manchado.

Stephanie blinked, stowed the gun and then replaced Manchado's collar and leash. She pushed the little earpiece back into her ear, listening to Tank's commentary on the action as the target was being hauled away by an ambulance crew as she opened the door to the hall. Time to finish up at the party.

-oOo-

_TBC... _


	21. Chapter 21

_Disclaimer: Characters you recognize from the books belong to JE; All other characters and the plot, such as it is, belong to me. _

_**A/N: Sorry for the long wait... I have the world's laziest muse!**_

**-oOo-**

_**Chapter 21**_

When Stephanie and RangerCat went back through the doorway into the ballroom they found Dimitri hovering nearby. The party was still going strong, although fewer people were nibbling from plates and more were sipping from drinks.

"Have you been waiting on me?" she asked the older man. "You don't have to. You should enjoy the party."

Dimitri gave her a little smile. "Oh, I have been having fun. You missed some excitement - a man passed out and they had to call an ambulance. I overheard that he had some sort of medical condition."

Stephanie put a look of dismay on her face. "Oh, I hope he'll be okay."

"I'm sure he will." Dimitri made a subtle gesture toward the bar. "May I get you a drink?"

"Sure. Something mild, please."

He moved off toward the bar and RangerCat leaned against her leg.

"I'll only have one drink, don't worry," she told him. She looked up and around, searching for a clock but none was apparent. "How much longer do you think we ought to stay?"

Tank answered her through the earpiece. "It's ten minutes till ten, Stephanie. How about if we aim for ten-thirty?"

Stephanie leaned over and stroked RangerCat's ears, relaying the suggestion to him. He couldn't answer in cat form, though - and she knew that - so the laid-back-ears look he gave her just made her laugh. "I think that sounds fine, Tank," she said as she straightened. "I think I've had about enough pretending to be a celebrity."

"Uh-oh - then you're not going to like this. And neither is Ranger." Tank made a sound like a sigh and then continued. "Can you do something so Ranger can hear what I'm saying?"

"Sure," she replied. A few small steps took her closer to the wall of windows where she'd be less likely to be in anyone's way, and then she knelt down on one knee and pulled RangerCat's head towards hers in a hug. "Okay - go ahead."

Tank explained quickly, and RangerCat's head pressed a little closer even though in cat form his hearing was acute.

Apparently Lester was at the kitchen entrance and had recognized one of the event waiters as a high-bond skip from New York that they'd been keeping an eye out for. Lester had seen him downing champagne from his tray several times, obviously not worried about being spotted here.

"We could grab him but it might cause a scene," Tank was saying. "I don't know how that might affect our future relationship with the owner and management, though."

"What if it was a publicity stunt?" Steph ventured before she could stop herself.

"How do you mean?" RangerCat was looking at her but it was Tank's voice that asked the question.

Stephanie mentally kicked herself before she answered. "From the few scenes on the DVD the studio sent, in the movie Catwoman lets her kitty choose his own treat from a group of people... What if we let Manchado - or Luccichio - play a little game? Since the guy is a waiter, the guests will all believe he was a plant for the stunt all along. Any fear, running, screaming, etcetera, will just be taken as acting the part."

There was a moment of silence, then Tank said slowly, "That might work."

RangerCat paced all the way around Stephanie's crouched form, rubbing his side and head against her.

"I think Ranger wants to try it," she ventured, smiling at the cat. As if to make his opinion clearer RangerCat sat down and put one large front paw on her knee.

"Then we're going to have to clear it with management," Tank said.

Stephanie saw Dimitri coming back through the crowd with a glass. "Dimitri has talked to the event coordinator once already, maybe he'll be willing to do it again. Can you come in and fetch the man if we can pull off the catch?"

"I'll send Lester. I stand out too much and management may recognize me."

"What if Lester gets curious about um...Manchado?" she asked.

Another faint sigh from Tank. "Lester might not put it together... We'll just have to worry about that later. Right now we need a workable plan."

"Okay. I'll let you know what the guy in charge says. Can you let me know when the skip is in the ballroom? I don't think they'd go for a leopard going into the kitchens."

"Will do."

Stephanie had to stand up then because Dimitri had reached her with drinks.

"It's a wine cooler, and mild," Dimitri told her as he handed her a glass of pale pink liquid. "Is everything okay?"

He'd probably seen her kneeling down with the leopard, Stephanie thought. How could she ask him to do what they needed him to do without it sounding fishy? She'd have to let Dimitri in on most of it.

"Everything is fine, Dimitri," she began, "but we could really use your help again, I think." She drew him a little closer. "The men outside, watching the security - they realized one of the waiters is a wanted man. We want to capture him but we don't want to cause a big scene or create a panic at this event. Now, on the DVD the studio sent with the costume, there was a scene where Catwoman let her cat pick someone out of a crowd for a 'snack'... If we proposed it to the event coordinator as a publicity stunt, do you think we might be able to use the stunt as a cover?"

Dimitri glanced down at the snow leopard. "Perhaps. Can you tell me a little more, perhaps something that I can use to sway him?"

"Um," Steph thought quickly. "You could tell him one of the waiters is a stuntman, a plant for the stunt. And if it would make him more comfortable we could do a little demonstration for him with a handful of people of his choice in a separate room or in the hall."

"I'll see what I can do. You should probably go mingle some more. I'll find you."

Stephanie wasn't enthusiastic about more small talk but RangerCat took a few steps and tugged against the leash so she followed. They wove their way in a rough oval through the crowded ballroom, stopping to talk to anyone who looked interested. RangerCat was doing his impression of a slightly spoiled housecat; he made a starlet squeak by licking her bare ankle, he turned his back and flattened his ears when someone asked Stephanie if he was house-trained, and he growled at the duo from 'What Not To Wear' when they got too close trying to get Stephanie's attention. He was keeping himself between Steph and a portly man who'd been drinking a little too much when Dimitri found them again. Lester was a few steps behind him.

"The coordinator is willing to allow the stunt and won't require a prior demonstration," Dimitri said as Lester slipped Stephanie a snapshot-sized photo of their wanted man and kept walking, disappearing back into the crowd. She studied the face for a minute then tucked the photo in her bag as Dimitri continued. "He is bringing in a few security people to keep things calm, and then he'll bring us a microphone."

She nodded and took a deep breath, stroking the snow leopard's head. "Okay, you can do this," she murmured to herself. "_We_ can do it."

"Steph," Tank's voice in her ear broke into her private pep talk, "if they want to start right away you may need to kill a few minutes. The skip just went back into the kitchen to refill his tray."

"Great... Can you let me know when he heads back into the ballroom?"

"Sure. I'll keep you posted."

Before she could get nervous Dimitri touched her elbow and said, "Here comes the coordinator."

**-oOo-**

_TBC soon..._


	22. Chapter 22

_**A/N: I don't have any good excuses for taking so long to update...**_

_Disclaimer: Characters from the books property of JE. Everything else is mine._

-oOo-

_**Chapter 22**_

A tall man with salt and pepper hair was making his way through the crowd, wearing a fitted tux and carrying a wireless microphone. Three of the Resort security men were with him. Two were carrying a good-sized carpeted platform between them and the third was carrying what was probably a step and helping to clear a path through the partygoers. They made their way to a central spot near the main entrance and set the pieces in place. The blonde security man with a buzz-cut stayed; the other two separated and took their places elsewhere.

The man with the mic headed to Dimitri.

"The owner is agreeable to you doing your stunt, but wonders if you could also give a short talk first so that our guests will have some idea what your friends can do."

Dimitri looked down at RangerCat and then at Stephanie. At her nod he answered for them. "Yes, we can do that."

"Wonderful! And would you be agreeable to allowing some of the entertainment reporters in? They've been hounding us since the cat came in."

"_That_ is up to you," Stephanie said quietly to Dimitri. Her identity was concealed by her costume and Ranger certainly didn't look like himself, so it wasn't an issue for them.

"That would be fine," Dimitri told him.

The coordinator headed toward the platform. The party guests had noticed the activity and had begun to form a loose semi-circle around the little stage. Stephanie noticed a kid whose face she recognized but name she couldn't place. He was dressed as a knight of some sort, in leathers instead of armor. The kid watched RangerCat while nearly everyone else watched the event coordinator step up onto the little platform.

"We have a treat for you tonight courtesy of our friends at Arista Studios. Filming has begun on a new Catwoman movie to be released next year. They've sent one of their 'stars' to visit us tonight, along with his trainer Dimitri Kattetavios and his friend, Catwoman."

There was a polite applause as Dimitri stepped up and accepted the microphone. Then he turned and swept his hand out. "May I introduce Luccichio the Snow Leopard, and his friend Catwoman."

Stephanie let go of the leash and RangerCat bounded up onto the platform next to Dimitri. Steph followed at a more sedate pace, unwilling to fall off her heels in front of so many rich and famous faces. The applause was mostly for RangerCat, anyway, and she didn't mind that.

"As our host explained, Luccichio is scheduled to appear in the new Catwoman movie being filmed. But since we were in the neighborhood tonight we thought we'd come by and give you a small preview. Some of you may have already met my friend Catwoman," he paused for another polite spatter of clapping. "She will kindly show us some of what Luccichio can do."

Steph took the microphone from his extended hand with butterflies in her stomach and looked out over the crowd.

"Good evening," she said. Nerves had her voice low and husky, not sounding much like her normal speaking voice. Which was fine with her - especially since there were cameras rolling. "First off, if anyone is phobic or has feline allergies and doesn't want to get too close, if you would move to this area we will try to leave you in peace." There were murmurs and a few twitters as a few people moved, then she resumed. "We'd like to tell you a little bit about Luccichio and big cat training and then show you a couple things he can do. One thing anyone who works with big cats must keep in mind is that, even though the cat is friendly, he still has sharp teeth," she rested her hand on RangerCat's head and he yawned hugely, "and they have claws." This time she didn't move but RangerCat curled one front paw over the edge of the platform, making his long claws extend. "If you don't follow the rules you could get hurt."

She waited as a soft murmur of agreement rippled, then smiled. "Now...who would like to meet my friend personally?"

The boy, who'd stationed himself right in the front, darted forward, twisting expertly to evade the grasp of the woman behind him - his mother, Stephanie decided from both the resemblance and the resigned look on her face.

"I would like to meet your cat," he said clearly. He'd stopped once out of his mother's reach and now approached at a sedate walk. There was no fear in his face although he did keep an eye on RangerCat, and came right up to the stage. Stephanie stepped to one side and, with Dimitri's hand to steady her, jumped down beside him.

"Hello. I apologize, your face is familiar but I don't know your name."

"I'm Michael."

"Okay, Michael. This is Luccichio," she said as RangerCat moved over and crouched down so that his head was just below Michael's shoulder level. "He would like to meet you, and he identifies people by smell. Would you let him smell you?"

The boy nodded with a grin and RangerCat shifted forward and snuffled the boy's messy blonde hair and one ear playfully. Michael giggled and cringed away from the tickling whiskers and Stephanie laughed. "Okay, now it's your turn. You can feel his fur-"

Michael took them all by surprise by not only sticking both hands into the fur at the back of RangerCat's neck, he also leaned down and buried his nose in the fur between his ears. There was a second of stunned silence during which Stephanie was pretty sure she heard Mom gulp; then the boy straightened up, grinning, and RangerCat shook his head and dramatically rolled over on his side.

Stephanie poked the leopard in the side. "Get up, you big ham," she admonished softly, away from the mic. Then she asked the giggling boy, "Doesn't he smell good?" He agreed with a grin and a nod, then Steph got back down to business.

"Okay, now that you've been introduced, would you like to take my cat for a little walk? Hold the leash and walk any speed you want. Stay in this room and don't go over in that corner so we don't make people sneeze. Okay?"

He nodded and she handed him the lead. The boy took an experimental step and RangerCat slid off the platform and went to his side.

They started out slow, then the boy broke into a run for several yards then stopped suddenly. The leopard stayed right with him, all but grinning. Steph let them play for several minutes, then called out to the cat, "Luccichio! Show him you're tired of walking!"

RangerCat promptly flopped onto his belly, nearly pulling the boy off his feet. The kid was cool, popping his fists up on his hips and looking down at the big cat with an exaggerated perplexed look on his face. This got more laughter and Stephanie gave it a moment before calling them back to the stage.

"Thank you for your help, Michael," she said as he handed the leash back, and the guests gave him a round of applause as he went back to his relieved mother.

"Most people don't realize a cat's sense of smell is very good, as good as most dogs. Sometimes we use something scented to let the cat know who we want him to go to, or in some cases, who or what he's supposed to fetch for us. Does anyone have a handkerchief we could borrow?" There were murmurs and rustling as people checked pockets or shook their heads. A young man in a perfectly fitted tux with an unfamiliar face brought one to the platform and offered it.

Stephanie took the white square with a smile and a murmur of thanks. "What is your name?"

"Jeff."

Stay here for a moment, please, Jeff," she said, then she turned back to the audience. "Now, obviously Jeff's hanky hasn't been used and is nice and clean. But it still carries a small trace of his scent. Now, I'm going to let Luccichio smell this, then have him turn his back and have Jeff give it to someone - or maybe pass it off to someone - and then we'll see if Luccichio can find who has it."

There was more rustling and some murmurs from the watchers as she shook out the cloth and let the leopard smell it. Then she handed it back to Jeff, patted Luccichio's back, and asked him to turn around and hide his eyes. RangerCat laid down with his back to the audience, his long heavy tail hanging over the edge of the platform and twitching.

As soon as RangerCat laid down, Stephanie motioned for Jeff to mingle and give someone the cloth. The young man grinned, then slipped into the crowd. As he threaded through the people quickly, making a few circles and angles, Stephanie reminded everyone that the cat wouldn't hurt them but to please be careful. Then Jeff waved from near the back and gave Stephanie a thumbs-up.

Steph grinned. "Okay, Luccichio. Go find who has the handkerchief!"

RangerCat stood with a lazy cat-stretch, then stepped off the little stage and padded towards the people. Several people shifted, and there were some nervous giggles - both male and female. A few people had big grins. Two or three who were either brave or just more curious reached out and let fingertips trail down the big cat's back as he passed. RangerCat ignored these.

Reaching Jeff, the cat paused slightly but Jeff held up his empty hands and grinned and he continued. He headed straight to an actress, a tiny young woman with a very familiar face. She shied away from the cat but he persisted, following her as she tried to get behind her date to use him as a shield. As she turned, though, everyone could see that the cloth had been tucked into the bow on the back of her cocktail dress. She didn't even know it was there.

RangerCat sat down and just kept his eyes on her, probably not wanting to frighten her, so Stephanie intervened.

"Kris?" she called out. "Could you come up here, please?"

The blonde skirted the leopard warily and walked toward the front, quickening her pace when she realized RangerCat was following her. Chuckles could be heard from the crowd as more of them noticed the hanky.

Up front, Stephanie reached behind her and pulled the cloth from the bow, showing it to her. "You've been made the patsy, I'm afraid. Someone planted the handkerchief on you."

The actress's nervous look was replaced by indignation. "Jeff! You are _**so**_ dead!" she shouted, causing a lot more laughter as Jeff raised his hands proclaiming innocence. There were a lot of murmured comments and more laughter as the woman made her way back to her date, eyeing him - and everyone else - suspiciously.

Tank's voice came through the earpiece. "Steph, the target is heading back into the ballroom. It's show time."

_**TBC...**_


	23. Chapter 23

_Disclaimer: Same as always..._

**-oOo-**

_**Chapter 23**_

Stephanie took a deep breath and casually looked around. By turning her head slightly she could see the waiter entering from the door to the kitchens. She went down on one knee next to RangerCat and rubbed his cheek, whispering so that only he could hear.

"Our target is coming in from the kitchen. Ready?"

RangerCat made a low, soft sound. He was ready.

Leaving the leopard sitting on the floor in front, Steph stepped back up on the platform where she could see better. Her audience immediately gave her their attention.

"One of the scenes being filmed for the movie - and I don't know if it will make the final cut - has Catwoman letting her pet leopard choose a 'snack' from a group of hostages..."

RangerCat looked up at her and she gave him a catty smile and gestured for him to go ahead.

"...so we thought we'd give you a preview."

The leopard was stalking through the audience with his lethal prowling gait, causing more than a few people to step away cautiously.

"We thought about using a volunteer for this demonstration, too. But, well, these floors are _marble_ and kind of hard!" she went on when she realized RangerCat was dawdling, waiting for the waiter to empty his tray. She supposed it only made sense to keep damages at a minimum. "Now cats naturally like to chase and pounce so it isn't hard to train one for this; the trick is to teach them to knock down the person without hurting them." She'd done some research online since the start of this plan so at least had some basic information she could talk about.

The waiter/felon was being incredibly slow and it wasn't too hard to keep track of him and the leopard both. RangerCat had to stall for time, too, and chose to be playful. He stalked over to Michael and gave his hand an experimental lick, and Stephanie fell back on her dubious humor.

"That boy's not very big, Luccichio. You'd still be hungry," she said, and there were some chuckles. Michael was giggling and his mom looked resigned.

RangerCat left the boy and started toward the actress, Kris. She promptly yanked the two people closest to her in front of her to use as a shield, muttering what were probably threats under her breath. Her date - one of the two shields - laughed out loud and promised to protect her.

The next person the leopard eyed speculatively was a man built like a linebacker; the big man offered to get the big cat something yummy from the buffet if he didn't bite him. RangerCat 'answered' with a loud chuff that made everyone jump, and then laugh at themselves.

Then the cat finally seemed to catch sight of the waiter. The leopard broke into a silent lope across the polished marble; the waiter looked up and saw his death coming and completely freaked out. His eyes nearly popped out of his head and he dropped the tray and turned to run, but his shoes were slick-soled dress shoes and he didn't have traction. He looked like a cartoon running in place for a moment before he was actually able to make headway, but it was too late. The cat caught up before he got very far and just stretched out a huge paw to lazily trip the man.

He screamed as he fell, a blood-curdling cry that gave Stephanie goosebumps. But RangerCat just stepped on the man's back and sank his teeth into the back of his jacket. When the man struggled he gave him a little shake, laid down across him and growled, his long heavy tail twitching.

There was a moment of stunned silence, then the audience broke into applause and excited chatter. Stephanie saw Lester and two hotel security people cautiously approaching to help their 'stunt person' to his feet so she asked their audience to thank their stuntman for his assistance, which had Les shooting her a quick grin. RangerCat moved off to the side and watched until they had the felon out the doorway - and presumably cuffed- then he turned and trotted back. He jumped up onto the platform with her and sat before her very tall and straight with his tail wrapped around his feel like an Egyptian statue the way he'd done in the warehouse with Dimitri. He looked regal and there was also a satisfied air about him which made Stephanie impulsively hug him. They bowed to their audience amid laughter and more applause, then Steph clipped the leash back on and they stepped down off the stage leaving Dimitri to finish up their 'appearance'.

Of course, after their little show there were a lot more people wanting to meet the leopard and ask Stephanie and Dimitri questions. Stephanie let Dimitri answer most of the questions, especially the technical ones and those from an intrigued director. She just smiled and listened to Tank's low-voiced commentary in her ear about what was going on outside. The felon was turned over to the proper authorities and RangeMan's paperwork handled with smooth efficiency. But it was almost another hour before Steph, Dimitri, and RangerCat could say their goodbyes and leave.

-oOo-

Tank met them up at the front entrance with the limo, going so far as to get out and open the door. The leopard hopped into the back as soon as the door was opened but Dimitri hesitated.

"I think I'd like to ride up front, if you don't mind," he said looking between Tank and Stephanie.

Tank looked at her but she gave him a tiny shrug that meant 'don't ask me' and he gave up. "Fine with me."

So Steph got into the back with the leopard and Dimitri got into the front seat. The privacy window was down but Stephanie didn't say anything - probably Ranger would wait to change until Dimitri was out of the limo, anyway.

They rode in comfortable silence until they reached the highway, then Tank told Steph he was turning off the earpiece. She took it out of her ear and put it back in it's box and handed it over the seat.

As she sat back Tank raised the screen, and the leopard moved from the rear-facing seat to sprawl on her seat with his head in her lap.

"You're not going to change?" she asked softly. His reply was a grumbling sound and the twitch of an ear. "So, you want to be petted? Need your ears scratched?" The ear twitched again, and she laughed. She unbuckled the collar and tossed it and the leash into the other seat, then she slumped back comfortably and began to rub and stroke the soft fur.

It was after midnight when they stopped to drop Dimitri off at his vehicle. Tank got out to open his door and Steph opened the back window to tell him thanks and good night.

"No thanks are necessary, my dear. I enjoyed myself immensely and believe I have made some business contacts that may prove lucrative in the future. I'll return the SUV to RangeMan tomorrow."

Stephanie nodded; she knew arrangements had already been made to fly Dimitri back to NY. "I enjoyed working with you. If there's ever anything I can do for you please don't hesitate to call."

Dimitri smiled fondly at her and then turned his attention to address the cat lying relaxed on the seat. "It was very interesting to meet and work with you, Manchado. I will never forget the experience." With a final nod to them all he turned to the black SUV and got in.

Tank watched him drive away then turned to hand a bundle of cloth to Steph through the open window. It was the cape Ella had sent along, soft black velvety fabric that Steph guessed would be longer than knee-length on her.

"Ella thought you might get chilly on the way home," he said in explanation. "I've got the heat on but yell if it's not warm enough."

"Okay," she smiled. But with the big leopard lying across her lap like a heavy fur blanket she didn't think she'd need any extra heat.

Tank closed Dimitri's door and got back into the driver's seat. As he pulled out of the now-empty lot, RangerCat shimmered blue...

Ranger looked up at her from her lap and smiled.

-oOo-

The limo purred as Tank pulled into the underground garage some thirty minutes later. He'd called the control room from the highway and although it was late, Lester, Ella, and Cressida were waiting near the elevator.

Tank stopped the limo and got out, nodding a greeting. Lester opened the back door and then stepped back in surprise. He shot Tank a look over the limo's roof; Tank frowned and opened the other rear door. He stuck his head in and looked around, then stood back up grinning. Lester was beginning to chuckle.

Cressida's curiosity got the better of her and she pushed Ella forward with her to get a look.

The back of the limo was empty except for the Catwoman costume. Each piece was meticulously laid out on the rear-facing leather seat and all the pieces were there except Stephanie's bag.

Cressida looked completely bewildered as she gathered it up to put it away, and even though she asked many questions on the way to lock it back into the costume trunk, all the others do is smile.

_**TBC...**_

_LOL, now __**you**__ tell __**me**__ where you think they disappeared to, and what happened next...!_


	24. Chapter 24

_**Thanks to everyone who waited patiently for me to get this story finished! It's been fun but I'm glad it's wrapped up. I hope you have enjoyed the ride!**_

**-oOo-**

_**Chapter 24 - Epilogue**_

At five o'clock the next evening Stephanie was standing on the front porch of her parents' house with her Grandmother, preparing for the invasion of trick-or-treaters. Halloween was Grandma Mazur's favorite day. Knowing that handing out candy took precedence, for once her mother had made sandwiches and finger foods instead of a sit-down dinner. There was hot cider and hot chocolate and of course a variety of cookies, so there was no shortage of food.

Grandma was in her element and excited, dressed in a black sweater and black knit pants, sitting in the corner chair with the spider legs arranged around her. Her gray curls were freshly tinted purple and she was wearing blue eye shadow and deep red lipstick. A big orange bowl of candy was balanced on her knobby knees and secured by hands sporting long glow-in-the-dark plastic nails.

Stephanie smiled fondly at her grandmother, glad she could be here for her. When she and Ranger had arrived thirty minutes ago Grandma had already been dressed and raring to go and fussing at Steph to hurry up and change.

The butterfly costume from, um, probably middle school of course didn't fit anymore, but Ella had produced a replacement that Stephanie now wore. Instead of a butterfly she was a winged flower fairy. Grandma loved it, and secretly Stephanie did, too. She wondered if Ella had made it.

The costume was a lot higher quality than most she'd ever had. The base of the costume was a semi-sheer nude-colored Lycra bodysuit, with fluttery silk 'flower petals' and 'leaves' sewn in strategic places to make a fairy-type dress. The large lightweight wings fit into a frame on a harness worn under the costume and looked as if they grew out of her back. There was glitter and shimmer and crystals everywhere - on the costume, on the large delicate wings of sheer gauze, and even in her hair, makeup, and nail polish. She felt a little silly at first, then decided it was not really any different than being dressed as Catwoman and just relaxed to have fun.

The Plum house was undeniably the hit of the 'Burg. The bats that seem to fly up when someone climbed up the steps startled screeches from both kids and parents. One of the merry men had rigged the witches to stir the cauldron, and the dry ice inside was making clouds of sufficiently creepy fog. Spooky sounds and creepy music played over the speakers hidden in the trees and under the porch eaves.

Ranger had come with Stephanie all dressed in his usual black but with his hair down. He was lurking around and seemed able to appear and disappear at will, startling Ellen but Grandma and the kids he sometimes spooked loved it. Sometimes Steph wouldn't see him but would hear his voice or feel a hidden caress. The first unseen touch made her jump but after that she'd just smile. She thought he was having fun, too.

About half the guys from RangeMan had come by to check out the decorations, see how things were going, bum a piece of candy or a cup of cider and hang out to watch the kids for a bit. Grandma was having a blast.

Even Ellen seemed to be enjoying herself. She'd been kept busy filling the candy bowls, supplying food and drinks, and answering the phone. At least tonight most of the calls were complimentary; Steph was enjoying the change of pace.

But as popular as the Plum house decorations were, there was even more talk among the parents about the television coverage from the Resort Casino's costume party the night before. The appearance by Catwoman and the big silvery cat had made the news, the nighttime talk shows, and had been repeated on several morning entertainment shows. It seemed like every parent that came by had to chat with Grandma about it.

Stephanie just leaned against the porch rail and smiled. Her smile grew when she felt Ranger's hands on her waist as he stepped closer to press a kiss against the back of her neck.

Yes, playing with the big cat had been fun...

But playing with Ranger afterwards had been better!

_**~The End!~**_

_Thanks for reading!_


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